1.2 million veterans sought mental healthcare in 2011

Wait time critical in VA care for mental health
St. Cloud Times
Written by
Frank Lee

The number of veterans seeking mental health care has increased since 2006 from about 900,000 to 1.2 million last year, according to a Government Accountability Office study.

Michael Mynczywor is the Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn program manager at the St. Cloud VA.

“If you specifically look at some of these returning combat veterans, we know that, statistically, probably close to around 30 percent are going to have some kind of mental health issues when they come back,” Mynczywor said.

Maj. John Donovan knew something was wrong when he returned from his first deployment to Bosnia.

He felt himself moving and thinking more slowly than he did while he was on active duty, he said.

“I said, ‘Doc, I just feel my head, space and timing is off,’ ” Donovan recalled. “Actually, it was pretty scary.”

During his deployment, “I was working in human resources ... a kind of 24/7 operation ... because if anybody gets injured, if they have to immediately go back to the States, we’re the ones who have to get up in the middle of the night.”

Donovan contacted the St. Cloud VA Health Care System, and was quickly seen. He was diagnosed with adrenaline withdrawal, a temporary problem caused by trying to readjust to the slower pace of civilian life, he said.

With time, he recovered. But for veterans struggling with mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and suicidal thoughts, the longer the wait for treatment, the worse things can become.
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