Anxiety in Military Veterans: Clinical Guidance, Resources
Clinical Review by:
Published:
Dec 20, 2024
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04:43 p.m.
ET
Military veterans endure significant physical and mental challenges during their specialized training, deployment and reintegration into regular society. Anxiety is one mental health diagnosis that stands out in this population and research studies have found veterans to suffer from anxiety at much higher rates compared to regular civilians.
Veterans may develop anxiety due to a myriad of reasons, one of the most significant being exposure to combat. Veterans Affairs (VA) and other institutions have worked to develop techniques to help identify anxiety in returning military personnel and veterans and specialized resources to help them combat anxiety. It is crucial for medical professionals and those who work with veterans to know the signs, symptoms, implications and treatment options for anxiety.
Is anxiety in Veterans different from PTSD?
Without a comprehensive understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Anxiety, it may be difficult to tell the two diagnoses apart, which may lead to misdiagnosis and treatment that does not address the correct issue. While both PTSD and Anxiety have components of fear and worry that trigger behaviors, the causes, symptoms and treatment are different for each.
Anxiety is characterized as a natural reaction to stress that almost every person experiences at some point in their life. Anxiety can be triggered by everyday scenarios, and for veterans may include situations like reintegration into society, preparing for deployment and time spent away from family. Anxiety also does not occur as the result of a situation, but more so in anticipation of an event or in response to a perceived but not actual threat.
PTSD is a more localized response to an actual traumatic event that occurred. Someone who has PTSD experiences the same feelings they did during the trauma, reliving it when a memory of the event is triggered. Someone with PTSD may experience flashbacks, hypervigilance, numbness and consistent intrusive thoughts. PTSD in veterans may be the result of physical or emotional trauma they experienced during combat. PTSD is also common in veterans who have experienced Military Sexual Trauma (MST). It is also possible for a veteran to have PTSD and experience anxiety symptoms at the same time.
Signs of anxiety
Generalized Anxiety can manifest in a variety of ways depending on the individual. Different types of anxiety may display distinct symptoms. Other forms of anxiety that are diagnosed include social anxiety, phobias and panic attacks.
Common symptoms of anxiety are:
Being on edge
Feeling restless or jumpy
Difficulty making decisions
Excessive worry
Physical symptoms (clammy hands, racing heart, trembling, twitching)
Difficulty catching breath
Nausea
Lightheaded or dizzy
Sleep disturbances
Changes in weight
Changes in personal hygiene
Where to turn: Treatment options
While rates of anxiety are high in the veteran population, there are specialized resources available to help treat them. Veterans Affairs (VA) offers mental health and other services specifically for veterans. These include:
Individual and group counseling
Couples and family counseling
Military sexual trauma (MST) counseling
Readjustment counseling
Employment counseling
Grief counseling
Substance use assessment and referrals
Assistance applying for VA benefits
Birches Health works with licensed therapists who are distinctly trained in treating veterans and the mental health challenges that they may be facing. Birches offers virtual care that allows veterans to receive the specialized treatment they need from the comfort of home. Birches Health also accepts TRICARE and all other major insurance companies, keeping the cost of care to veterans low or free.
There are several ways to get started with Birches Health:
You can also call 833-483-3838 or email help@bircheshealth.com to get in contact with the Birches team right away.
Anxiety rates in Military Veterans: Stats & trends
Anxiety rates in Military Veterans are significantly higher than the general population. Rates of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in veterans is 7.9% while the general population is 2.9%. Research from Yale University also found that one in four veterans experiences mild anxiety symptoms.
It was also noted that veterans who were deployed more than two times were more likely to be diagnosed with GAD or display mild anxiety symptoms. Younger veterans were at a higher risk of developing GAD in addition to female veterans. Racial or ethnic minorities were found to have higher rates of GAD compared to caucasian veterans. One of the groups with the highest rates of GAD were those with combat experience and this group displayed greater instances of suicidal ideation and attempts compared to those with no combat experience.
