WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG MARCH/APRIL 2019 25 Both active­duty service members and veterans face barriers to treatment for mental health issues. Some of these barriers, identified by the United States Government Accountability Office, include:  Embarrassment about service­related mental disabilities.  Long wait times to receive mental health treatment.  Fear of being seen as weak.  Stigma associated with mental health issues.  A lack of understanding or awareness about mental health problems and treatment options.  Logistical problems, such as long travel distances in order to receive this type of care.  Concerns over the veteran mental health treatment offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Too Many Walls Consider the following reasons military members might not seek help Post­Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) triggers a person’s “flight­or­flight” response even if a situation doesn’t call for it. An official diagnosis of PTSD can come after a veteran experiences these following symptoms for at least a month: 1Avoidance—the person will want to stay away from places, events, or objects that remind them of their traumatic experience or bring up thoughts and feelings related to it. A veteran may avoid talking about war or stay away from other people who served in the military. 2Re­experiencing symptoms—flashbacks, include sweating, elevated heart rate, bad dreams, and scary thoughts. Vets with PTSD may feel like they’re in danger even without an actual threat. 3At least two cognitive and mood symptoms—negative feelings about themselves and the rest of the world, feeling guilt or blame, and problems remembering key parts of the event that caused PTSD. 4Often, constant arousal and reactive symptoms—startling easily, feeling tense, having sleeping issues, and experiencing angry outbursts. Source: verywellmind.com Symptoms of PTSD Look for these signs to gauge if someone is struggling with the disorder