Do you feel disconnected because of drug or alcohol use? We’re here for you.

This is a research study that hopes to learn more about how to address feeling alone or isolated and substance use. Our team has developed a non-medication intervention to help Veterans manage and improve their mental health. You don’t need to enroll in VA to participate in this study. All individuals that served in the military are eligible to participate. Compensation provided.

Interested in learning more? Contact us at (808) 379-5683 or at park.bogan@va.gov, or submit your information here.

Hey everyone:

I’m the veteran, and my and I have to pay out about $150k in cash from equity and other equalization on a house I have $250k equity in.

I currently have a 15 year at 2.25%, and it seems awful to do a 30 at 8.25% to refinance the additional payout to the ex to get the money out- the rate increase alone would cost me an extra $800/month.

Any advice on what’s the best way to do this?

Is there any way to keep my rate or am I screwed?

Hello,

I’m(33m) in need of some advice. I’m an ultrasound student in the Los Angeles area. I was recently denied chapter 31 benefits (VR&E), but I have 9 months left of my program.

I’m on my last few months of Chapter 33 (Gi Bill) benefits. I looked into other education programs, unfortunately my school doesn’t accept STEM or Yellow Ribbon programs to help with tuition, so I re-applied for Chapter 31 again.

What can I do or say differently to be accepted in receiving chapter 31 benefits? I’m rated at 90%. My disabilities range from depression to bad knees,tinnitus, and plantar fasciitis.

Any advice will be great. Thank you!

If you need help or are thinking about ending your life, Please reach out to someone in your life or comment on this post. We are here to support you.

Call 988 National Suicide Hotline - Press 1 for VA Crisis Line

Suicide and Mental Health Resources A comprehensive list of resources can be found here.

Veteran's Crisis Information

You can call 1800 273 8255, Press 1 or text 838255

https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/MENTALHEALTH/get-help/index.asp

1-877-927-8387 Open 24/7 VA Vet Centers offer counseling Vet Centers are local, community-based confidential counseling centers that support war Veterans, active-duty Servicemembers, and military family members with post-deployment readjustment services. The goal of every Vet Center is to provide a broad range of counseling, outreach, referral, and assessment services, collectively called readjustment counseling services, to facilitate high-quality post-war readjustment and reintegration. Readjustment counseling services at a Vet Center allow war Veterans a satisfying post-war readjustment to civilian life and provide active-duty Servicemembers a confidential resource for post-war assistance. Military families also receive no-cost marriage and family therapy and supportive services for military-related issues. Vet Centers provide bereavement counseling to surviving parents, spouses, partners, children, and siblings of Servicemembers, which include federally activated Reserve and National Guard personnel, who die of any cause while on military active-duty. Vet Centers provide confidential military sexual trauma counseling to all military Veterans and active-duty Servicemembers, to include federally activated Reserve and National Guard personnel, no matter their duty location, era of service, or whether the trauma incident was reported to authorities.

Veteran Wellness Allegiance can offer Peer Counseling and assistance

Military One Source - 1-800-342-9647

Please seek help if needed...There are behavioral health resources at your disposal both in the Military and out.

non VA treatment program for PTSD:

https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=5852

Vets4Warriors 1-855-838-8255

Veterans in acute suicidal crisis are able to go to any VA or non-VA health care facility for emergency health care at no cost – including inpatient or crisis residential care for up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days. Veterans do not need to be enrolled in the VA system to use this benefit. Literally any veteran can walk into ANY urgent care/ER for thoughts of suicide and they can get free care.

Any veteran experiencing food insecurity can call their primary care (PACT) team and have one of the PACT social workers conduct a food insecurity screen. These are websites veterans can use to find local food pantries, soup kitchens, and food banks. Food Pantries Soup Kitchens Food Banks

Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless can call or visit their local VA Medical Center where staff are ready to help.

VA Emergency Rooms/Services - VA Urgent Care

VA Health Chat

Free Legal Clinics

Free legal services for veterans

It's 0530 and I'm stuck again unable to sleep. It's been like this forever and it keeps getting worse. Been to sleep counselor and it was better but only for a short time. My regular counselor retired last December and I finally got an appointment with the replacement for next week.

Right now I'm just looking for virtual lifelines so to speak. I only have one IRL I can call on but currently I have the flu so I don't want to call him over.

Long story short, I served from '06-'14. Started out in the signal corps because my recruiter was a lieing @$$hole, went to Iraq from '07-'09, reclassed to chemical corps in '10, had a baby in '11 then went to AFG until '12 where I played truck driver since who needs a chem dog in Afghanistan.

Iraq deployment was kinda meh. Was a fobbit but still managed to have all my shit blown up and learned what burning humans smell like. Got divorced and met my current husband there. AFG was a whole different animal. I was fine after I got back until I wasn't. Ended up being med boarded and am currently 100% P&T mostly for mental but also for physical.

Even though my husband was an 11B, he was PSD and never saw combat. He doesn't understand and it infuriates him that he sees me suffering and can't help. I can't really talk to him because he doesn't really know what it was like.

I guess I'm looking for other combat vets that even though it's been more than a decade, the memories are still fresh. I fear going to sleep. When I do sleep, I'm so tense I wake up feeling like I just had a full body workout. My thoughts during the day are being constantly intruded on by memories and intrusive thoughts that keep me from being fully present.

I joined my son in a jiu jitsu gym for a partial outlet but I fear actually grappling because I keep slipping into full on combatives style fighting where rules didn't necessarily apply. I've near on dislocated my husband's shoulder and elbow because I overdid a far side arm bar because I lost control. (He's literally twice my size).

I just need others who have been there. Others who had to pull the trigger. Who knows what it's like to have to burn your uniforms because of the biohazard on them. Who had to get whole new CIF issue because what you were originally issued ended up shredded. Others who were there for your buddies who were hit just worrying if their junk was intact because they were going to start a family once they got home only to have their wives do what a lot of military wives did.

Just looking to not feel so alone.

I'm getting out but not looking for work anytime after. What did u guys do with the tsp. Did u guys just leave it alone or call tsp and get it transferred into something else?

I did all the right things. I qualified early on everything I ever did. I’ve been recommended for early command since I was an O-2. I got an MBA while serving as a NROTC instructor at an Ivy League university. I graduated last May.

I’ve been looking for employment for the last month and have very quickly learned how little my experience actually means. I literally just got turned down for a job that two of my friends have, one is a Vet and she even admits that she came to the table with less qualifications then I have. The other is a classmate… with the same degree I have.

I am by no means in a position where I’d ever harm myself in any way. I have a wonderful wife and we’re very financially stable, thank God.

Just going through this whole process has opened my eyes. I can 100% see how this experience might make someone want to suck-start an M9. I was the XO of a (admittedly small) warship, and now I can’t even qualify for an assistant brand manager position for a pet food company’s headquarters.

So, I'm 27, I'll be 28 this year. Ive never made a reddit post but it's 1 am and like always, my thoughts are keeping me up. It's been worse the past week now. But I'll cut to the chase, I feel inadequate ever since I left the Army. In the Army, we had a place, we had structure, I felt like I was truly making a difference for my country and the world. I was in for 7 years, I ended up getting medically seperated for my knees. I tried fighting it and hiding it so I could go under the radar and continue to serve but I collapsed during a ruck march from my knees and there was no hiding it after thar, I was married at the time my now ex wife talked me into seperating, saying it would be better. I would be home with her and I've done my time and all that other BS. So I get home, I find out she's a drug addict and has been cheating on me all within my first year of being out. She put me into 14k worth of debt that I am paying off still, during the divorce, my situation was so bad I had to live with my dad for almost a year until I met my current girlfriend, I love her to death. She supports me, she's a shoulder I can cry on, she makes me want to marry again, everything is amazing aside from this feeling I have deep down that I can't bury away or ignore like I can everything else. I feel inadequate, I feel like I peaked in the Army, that now I am worthless. I don't know what to do. Sure, I'm 80% and the VA cuts me a good check, I have a job I like, I'm thankful enough that I can just do a job I like and not worry about pay due to my VA pension but I just feel like I'm not doing enough. I tried going to college but this debt was so much, I couldn't make payments on the debt and go to college. My girlfriend, she holds a masters, is a private school teacher, all my civilian friends have amazing careers, one of them is going for his PHD, meanwhile, here's me, who's greatest years have passed, my career, gone, someone who has no idea what to do with his life. I miss the Army, I miss my brother's, I miss feeling like I was making a difference. Sure, I can live off this VA pension and still do all my hobbies, live comfortably and be happy with my 1k bi weekly paucheck but deep down, I'm not happy. I don't know how to get rid of this feeling. I'm not suicidal, I crossed that bridge when I learned she was cheating on me 2 years ago and I'm still going through therapy, ya know, those mental health checkups they make you go to. I just feel... I don't even know how to describe how I feel. I've talked to my VA therapist and she helps and does what every other therapist does but the feeling doesn't go away. I'm scared one day my girlfriend will be like "He's just living off his VA check and doesn't bring as much money as me". I know she would never do that, she's told me this when she caught me in one of those empty trances, you know the one where you just stare off and constantly think? I know she's being sincere, but I don't know if it's me reacting from past experiance with my ex wife, my anxiety and depression from not being in the Army anymore, or both. I mean, the Army was my life. I was happy, despite the BS we would do, deep down, I loved the Army and I wanted to do my 20 and I just feel like I let it go too easy, I didn't fight hard enough to stay. I'm normally headstrong, confident, stalwart, and all those other "strong buzzwords" you want to use, but this, this drives me nuts. I haven't been working the past 2 months due to a motorcycle wreck so maybe it's just idle mind thought? The big reason I choose to work isn't to just bring more money, it keeps me busy and my mind busy. What do you guys think? I'm just lost. I've been out for a little under 3 years now, it'll be 3 in a few months. Every one who has had this problem or has been out for awhile, can someone give me advice? Soldier to soldier? If I hear some civilian or my therapist tell me it'll get better, I'm going to strangle someone. I'm worried I'll lose my girlfriend because I can't get my shit together, lose friends, or just have my life collapse because I can't control my shit. Even though she said she never would, we all know people have their limits. I know I can do better, I just don't know how

I'm asking bc my husband has stage 4 cancer. (We are both veterans.)

Does anyone know how to withdraw early and at all how this process goes? Any information appreciated.

I know it sounds wired but you know when your out on patrol or in a convoy and you just know your not in the best area for the timeline. Idk but when I miss my time in I seem to miss my friends and us making jokes about what could’ve happened. Of course after the deployment I sat down and realized how serious it all could’ve been. Just wondering if anyone misses the adrenaline of war I guess. I’m sure I’m not alone in this.

What insurance do you guys use or prefer? I’m a (25 M) wondering what’s the best rates, I’ve been looking at USAA and Geico in the past…

Topic. I need a break…

Okay so I am currently referred out to community Care by the VA. My dentist gave me a script to get filled which he said I need to start taking today. I don't really have the funds right now to go get it filled out in town and then file a claim so I called the VA they basically said that I was SOL because I'm not close to a VA pharmacy.

I have a local tricare clinic with a pharmacy and decided to stop by and ask if they could fill it for me seeing as I have a DOD ID that says I am 100% p&t.

Well the clerk told me to call a number she gave me which I did and they enrolled me in something. Then I went inside and she filled my prescription and I was on my way.

Is this going to be covered or am I poised to get a nice bill in the mail here in the near future?

So my state surgeon is up in there air about referring me to a MEB even though my condition, benign neoplasm of the spinal cord, doesn’t meet medical retention standards according to AR 40-501. Can anyone give me some insight on what exactly I can do.

Today was a difficult day. Today I came to the conclusion that I think I've been considering might be a reality for some time now: My military experience has meant f**k all in the grand scheme of things.

The military and civilian worlds might as well be different realities.

When going up for civilian roles in higher level leadership at companies, despite having similar job titles and arguably more experience than my peers, I find myself unable to secure positions of organizational impact. Instead I find myself trapped in individual contributor roles that may pay decent but offer no development or leadership opportunities.

I must admit that the military also made me extremely cynical and I think this is a contributor.

I often look at senior leaders at the companies I've worked for with extreme skepticism and often find their leadership styles wanting and decision-making questionable. I have a hard time grappling with the fact that someone who managed people in the same domain as I did but under far less stress and who was busy earning an MBA while I was carrying heavy s**t and making life and death decisions in the Hidu Kush mountains at 23 is more capable than I am at people and project management.

This may be a FAULT in ME though, not a true fact. I think my brain is wired these days to look at "subject matter experts" and PhDs on terrorism or adversary influence operations who speak at conferences across the globe and think to myself, "How can you POSSIBLY speak to this topic when you've never actually lived it?" and I think this is just the wrong attitude to have these days.

I joined the military and chose jobs, as I'm sure most veterans did, that would be useful in their long-term growth. I believed, perhaps incorrectly, that veterans were loved in this country and that we would be respected for putting life on pause to spend at least 4 years doing a job that others didn't have either the intestinal fortitude or physical ability to do.

But I don't see that and maybe it never really existed.

What I do see is a world in which I have clicked the checkbox on a leadership job application that says "I belong to one or more of the classifications of protected veterans" perhaps 100s of times, wondering if the ability to check that box means anything at all or if it ever did and knowing that I was likely passed up for a 26 year old who's managerial background ends at a Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership.

​

So finally after about a month of waiting to be assigned a counselor I had my web meeting this morning. I should preface this by saying I woke the day prior at 2PM because I work night shift patrol as a deputy.

I got off work at 0700 after 12 hours and in bed by 0730 only to wake at 1100 since you don't seem to have an option in scheduling your session. I was immediately greeted by the counselor who was apparently irritated because I had my camera disabled as I had just crawled out of bed.

I reluctantly turned it on after explaining why it was off. She asked why I required assistance and I explained to her that my current job affects my mental health, which I am rated for, to the extent I have daily panic attacks and nightmares on a regular basis. And explained multiple times how my physical ratings were affected from wearing heavy equipment, fighting with people daily, sitting in a car for long hours and more.

With complete lack of interest in anything I was saying she asked if I had asked my department for accommodations for my disability. I advised her I have applied for multiple positions and never have gotten any of them. I advised her there were no other positions within my department that don't entail these same disability aggravating factors. She persisted. I explained I work for a small county government where asking for accommodations, especially mental health wise when working in a law enforcement capacity, could actually cost me my job.

She pointed out that I already have a bachelor's in Organizational leadership. I advised her I had applied for at least 150-200 jobs over a span that included both local, USA jobs listings, and out of state and have never even received a first contact back most likely due to my only experience being 10 years of law enforcement and 6 years of military.

She got smart with me yet again stating that she conducted a "market analysis" for my area and found 50 jobs using my degree I could apply for. When I told her I too had searched local jobs and didn't qualify for the positions I found / could afford to do she became even more irritated.

She basically stated since I have a degree already I should be able to find a job that suits me or get accommodations from my current employer. She was so unhelpful and had such a smart attitude and uncaring demeanor, that I told her she was not even taking the time to understand my situation nor comprehend the things I was telling her. She told me I should contact the VA for mental health counseling to which I replied that I have tried counseling before and that counseling does little to help a mental health condition such as anxiety while still doing a job that triggers said anxiety multiple times a day.

I told her I could see she has no interest in helping me to which she replied "so you want me to withdraw your application correct?". Thanks a lot VA for putting me in front of someone without a caring bone in their body who obviously was there to just collect a check.

I found out today that I am now rated at 100% disability. I didn't claim I can't work so its not P&T or whatever acronym they use for a veteran unable to work. Just got the rating for a slew of injuries.

I considered this some, it's sorta odd to be excited about. "I'm in my 30s and have enough problems to be considered really disabled!". I'm pretty young to have back pain all the time. To be limited in jogging or playing sports I love. To be stuck on the couch some days due to pinched nerves and shooting pains. To be in need of neurosurgery but I'm decades too young for a back fusion ect.

Overall, I'm really happy to get this rating and to get all the benefits that come with it (btw, ya'll know what benefits I get at 100 that's different from 90?). I'm relieved and glad. Just commenting on the meaning of it.

As the title says looking for an easy part time job. Not massively worried about pay. Really just want something chill to give me something to do.

Does the VA offer any stipend or subsidy for gym memberships? Or does Tricare? I am not close to a base/post to use those gyms. Thanks in advance.

How is it that I can get free college, my wife was saying it is the G.I bill since she didn’t use the free college benefit she said I can use it. How do I go about using that?

Btw she was given general discharge under honorable conditions (due to refusal to take the covid 19 vaccine)

I have a wife and a service animal, and we are at risk of being homeless by Saturday.

We had a case of ADA Discrimination, we were kicked out because the home owner did not want my dog inside, despite being a service animal.

This was actually the fourth time this has happened to us, so my wife broke down and was placed under something called the baker act, where she was forcefully placed in an inpatient mental health facility. I had to deal with being kicked out on the street with my service animal and spending what little money I had for hotels and transportation.

I need my wife, I'm 70% disabled. I went to see her in-person, but was refused entry exactly like this:

Employee: "Is that a Pet?"

Me: "No its a service animal"

Employee:"Oh nice, I'm a veteran too with a service animal. Do you have documentation?"

Me "Yes, I have paperwork"

Employee says to wait a second and then comes back and says "let's see that documentation"

Me: "Well yes, but it's my disability documentation"

Employee: "So you lied?(No) I'm a Veteran with a Service Dog, I know you Have to have one on you at all times. (No, there is no such thing as offical documentation for that, all third party, + my wife trained the dog + I already called and confirmed with SE Disability rights, ADA, DAV, and secretary of state FL).

I called 911, they told me this isnt a criminal case, but a civil rights case for an attoreny. They said they feel bad they couldn't help more and left. I stayed at the mental health facility property wanting to at least call my wife through the phone they have outside. They refused to let me speak with her, so I waited outside.

They didn't beilive me, despite me then calling and being on the phone with disability rights florida: 800 342 0823, and the operator telling me I was being actively discriminated against. They refused to listen to the operator when I put her on speaker and kept walking away from me.

That same operator warned me, because my wife is still a paitent there, they could possibly retaliate in some way agaisnt me using her, well they did just that. I eventually get a call from my wife, she was obviously frantic and she told me she was being yelled at for me being outside 'causing trouble' and that she was told to convince me to leave now. I explained to my wife that they are supposed to be helping her not even informing you of this situation and to hang up, she agreed and hung up.

I was there for 5 hours outside but eventually left, So, I talked with morgan and morgan and its been a week with them still in "reveiw" I have an appointment with the local va called the Lake Baldwin VA office on April 8th, but i spent over 3k surving with my family in hotels, but its drained all my funds and Saturday morning we must leave the hotel with no where to go and a house worth full of luggage.

Any idea what I should do?

Hey, everyone I’m just here to say hello and share my sourdough sub roll I made today.

Recently laid off, have been applying to multiple job postings on LinkedIn, this question comes up along with the self identification of a disability. I've answered yes as I got my balls blown off in Iraq like many others but not sure if this hurting me in the long run.

TLDR: I still have issues due to a wisdom tooth extraction from 10 years ago. Allergies are out of control I can’t breathe well at night all spring and summer constantly have a sore throat. Allergy medicine costs me hundreds of dollars a year. Many people told me to inquire about compensation but I don’t know where to start.

I have always been very healthy. Blessed with good genes because I don’t have any allergies and never got sick. This was until I was told I need to get my wisdom teeth out. I told them I don’t feel like I have to I have never had problems with them and my other teeth are in great condition so I prefer just to keep them. But I was still new in the Airforce at this time and I was scared into thinking they told me I have to get them out as it wasn’t an option. My teeth were impacted and had many complications post op including dry sockets and I don’t know what it was called but it was a hole from my mount into my sinus. I would rinse my mouth out and water would get stuck in my sinuses and I could feel it sloshing around in my head. When I went to the dentist about it they said I was a slow healer and it would be fine.

2 weeks passed and I started getting headaches. Water would get stuck in my sinus and if I bent down to pick something up it would leak out of my nose. The headaches became really bad I went back to the dentist. The dentist shooed me away and said that has nothing to do with me talk to your primary doctor. Primary doc said just go back to your dentist. Again I was afraid of getting in trouble so I gave up. Another week passed and my headaches were so bad I couldn’t function. Seeing spots and constant ringing. So I went to the ED and the doctor yelled at me “are you dying?” I said “no I have been having headaches for weeks idk what to do” then he said “the ED is for the dying airman and their families your wasting my time”

He made me feel horrible but he was the one who consulted me to ENT and the ENT doctor probably saved my life. I had to wait over a month to get an appointment in agony the whole time usually only sleeping a few hours every few days. They put me on ambien and still couldn’t sleep.

Anyway. They did a ct And the ct indicated that I had an infection that was growing towards my brain or something along the lines of that. I was so exhausted all the time I don’t remember much. They cancelled someone else and made me come into surgery the next day. They took out 2/3 of my sinus in my left side and half of a portion in my right side. And I was feeling better after the operation.

About 5 years later I had to get the surgery again and they took more of my sinus out and for the last few years I have been dealing with this but I am done. I’ve tried to get my medical records multiple times but no matter how many times I send the form in they won’t transfer my records I don’t know what to do and I need some guidance.

Hello all,

I'm currently going through a Medical Board in the Navy and just got my results back from the VA and DoD side. I'm being put on PDRL ( Permanent Disability Retirement program ) and I've heard of P&T in terms of VA. Is this basically the same thing?

​

I'm asking cause I just got off the phone with the Wounded Warrior program and they were saying I won't get called for random exams in the future about my conditions.

​

Thank you for your time !

VES uploaded my PTSD DBQ April 1st so hopefully I get a rating soon. Been a long time coming. Already rated at 60%. PTSD is my last claim.

I’m taking two 5 credit classes online. I living in Michigan and the college is in pierce County. Post 9/11

One started April 1st & the other April 15th.

How much would I get paid per month?

I never really cared much about awards while I was in, but I have been separated from the Air Force/Air National Guard for several years now and find myself reflecting on that time occasionally. Out of six medals and various other ribbons I was authorized, I was only ever presented my Achievement Medal. The rest I had to go buy at the BX to have on my blues, including my GWOT-E and Nuclear Deterrence. Is this standard or was it a fault of my unit? And how could I acquire those medals now? Like I said, I didn't think or care much of it at the time, just enough to stay in regs, but I think the actual medals would be something neat to have as a keepsake now. Thanks.