Veterans, in their life after service, often face tremendous challenges. Some of those challenges affect their personality while the more potent issues affect the rest of the family members. Adapting to a civilian life after military deployment often exposes veterans to some common issues as hereby outlined.
Depression and PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a real threat to the ability of veterans to adapt fast to life after deployment. Instances where the veterans experienced battle and lost colleagues commonly lead to traumatic experiences and depression. Coping with PTSD is a major challenge and requires professional counseling and constant care from family members.
Military-civilian lifestyle changes
Adjusting from living under a military lifestyle to living as a civilian often prove challenging for most veterans. The kind of lifestyle that military personnel lead in military camps is tremendously different in all aspects from that which civilians live. The norms, practices, habits, and lifestyle change abruptly in ways that make coexisting with civilians quite difficult.
Establishing a new career
Veterans often retired at a relatively young age. They, therefore, need to realign their career and establish some work to do. Sometimes, this proves quite challenging, especially in instances where no job opportunities are available for them in the market for the kind of professional certification they possess. To successfully orient themselves and make themselves competent in the job market, they have to undergo fresh training and education, something that takes a considerable amount of time and resources.
Housing and homelessness
Housing is a major crisis for veterans. In the US, 10% of the documented homeless population has been established to be veterans. The former military servicemen and their families face financial challenges which often lead to foreclosures, thereby displacing them from their homes. Homelessness causes additional challenges among which include grappling with the law by engaging in deviant acts such as theft and drug abuse.
Compliance with authorities
Former military servicemen who were high ranking officials in their time of deployment in military service can sometimes experience major challenges complying with civilian authorities. Adjusting from a lifestyle of issuing commands to other soldiers to being issued with orders by the police can be quite challenging in ways that tempt them to become defiant to the law, something that leads to possible imprisonments.