Studies
How Stress Effects the Body
While these barriers create significant obstacles to seeking care, they are only part of the story. Much of the stigma surrounding mental health is rooted in a misunderstanding of how stress and trauma impact the brain and body. What many perceive as weakness is, in fact, a normal biological response to overwhelming stress, driven by changes in brain function, inflammation, and nervous system dysregulation. Beneath the surface, untreated stress and trauma manifest in profound ways, disrupting key physiological systems and impairing the body’s ability to heal and thrive. To fully understand the importance of a holistic recovery strategy, it’s essential to explore how chronic stress affects the body, brain, and overall capacity for recovery.
While these barriers create significant obstacles to seeking care, they are only part of the story. Much of the stigma surrounding mental health is rooted in a misunderstanding of how stress and trauma impact the brain and body. What many perceive as weakness is, in fact, a normal biological response to overwhelming stress, driven by changes in brain function, inflammation, and nervous system dysregulation. Beneath the surface, untreated stress and trauma manifest in profound ways, disrupting key physiological systems and impairing the body’s ability to heal and thrive. To fully understand the importance of a holistic recovery strategy, it’s essential to explore how chronic stress affects the body, brain, and overall capacity for recovery.
Understanding these impacts underscores the importance of a multifaceted strategy that addresses not just the psychological symptoms of stress but also its physiological and neurological effects. This foundation is vital for developing a sustainable path to resilience and recovery.
The Cost of Inaction
The barriers to treatment, including stigma, fear of reliving trauma, and internalized self-blame, create a dangerous cycle where many veterans go without the care they need. This inaction comes at a significant cost—not only to the individual but also to society as a whole. The economic burden of PTSD among veterans is substantial, with annual excess costs averaging $25,684 per veteran. This burden, absorbed by public healthcare and support systems, underscores the critical need for timely and effective intervention strategies.
- Disability costs are the largest factor, accounting for $16,386.21 per veteran each year. These expenses stem from long-term compensation provided to veterans facing chronic impairment due to PTSD.
- Healthcare costs make up the remaining $9,297.79 annually per veteran, covering direct treatment services and ongoing care through programs like the VA.
Investing in comprehensive care strategies can reduce both the human and economic toll of PTSD. By dismantling barriers to treatment and focusing on early intervention, we improve health outcomes and empower service members to continue their careers without being sidelined by trauma. This approach creates a sustainable path toward resilience and well-being (Davis et al., 2022).
While the numbers tell a grim story of inaction, the true cost is best understood through lived experiences. Let me share Isaac’s story—a veteran whose life hung in the balance until he found the help he needed.
Citations
The Barriers
Hoge, C. W., Castro, C. A., Messer, S. C., McGurk, D., Cotting, D. I., & Koffman, R. L. (2004). Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, mental health problems, and barriers to care. The New England Journal of Medicine, 351(1), 13–22. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa040603
Ranney, R., & Team. (2023). Barriers to PTSD treatment among veterans: A quantitative analysis. Journal of Mental Health Research, 25(1). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36630559/
BMC Psychology. (2024). Addressing trauma-focused barriers in PTSD treatment: A systematic review. Available at: https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-024-01588-x
Cooper, A. E., Corrigan, P. W., & Watson, A. C. (2003). Mental illness stigma and care seeking. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 191(5), 339–341. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nmd.0000066157.47101.22
How Stress Effects the Body
Ravi, M., Miller, A. H., & Michopoulos, V. (2021). The immunology of stress and the impact of inflammation on the brain and behaviour. BJPsych Advances, 27(3), 158–165. https://doi.org/10.1192/bja.2020.82
Picard, M., & McEwen, B. S. (2018). Psychological stress and mitochondria: A conceptual framework. Psychosomatic Medicine, 80(2), 126–140. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000544
Xie, L., Kang, H., Xu, Q., Chen, M. J., Liao, Y., Thiyagarajan, M., & Nedergaard, M. (2013). Sleep drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain. Science, 342(6156), 373–377. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1241224
The Cost of Inaction Davis, L. L., Schein, J., Cloutier, M., et al. (2022). The economic burden of posttraumatic stress disorder in the United States from a societal perspective. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 83(3):21m14116. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.21m14116
