Key points
Many veterans face ongoing mental health and substance use struggles after returning home.
The focus is often on veterans' past service to the country and less about ongoing behavioral health issues.
Support veterans by showing gratitude, avoiding probing questions, and learning about military culture.
Therapists should use evidence-based treatments and develop veteran cultural competence for effective support.
When we think of Veterans Day, we often focus on the physical service for our country—the time, the family strain, the stress , the sacrifices. However, much of what veterans deal with occurs when they return home from duty and mental health and substance use issues surface. These are the scars that remain invisible, but ever present.
According to the Boulder Cres

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