By John Villasenor MD, FAAFP
Southwest Medical, part of Optum
Veteran’s Day is Wednesday, November 11, 2026, a time to express our gratitude to the women and men who have proudly served in the military to preserve our freedoms. For many, the holiday can mean a parade down Main Street or honoring veterans in other ways, but for millions of veterans it can be another day struggling with a serious health issue tied to their service.
Each year, approximately 200,000 leave active duty. After leaving the service, many veterans face a myriad of health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other mental health challenges, the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI), musculoskeletal injuries, and illnesses due to the physical and mental demands of the career.
Veteran health issues can be complex and are driven by many factors including age, race, gender, if the veteran saw combat or not, the geographic location where the veteran served, and the conflict itself. Veteran statistics on PTSD vary based on the era in which the veteran may have served. At some point throughout their life, seven percent of veterans will have PTSD, affecting female veterans slightly more than male veterans.
A veteran’s health profile is unique. Working as a team with the individual and health care provider can devise a strategy to meet their patient’s health needs. To help veterans live their best lives and improve their health in addition to needed medical and psychological care, it is important to take an approach of healthy living practices and prevention. The U.S. Veterans Administration offers the following evidence-based recommendations:
- Get high quality sleep each night and seeking help for sleep difficulties
- Keeping your recommended screenings and immunizations up to date
- Being active in your health care and working with your healthcare team to meet your specific needs**
- Managing stress
- Cutting out tobacco use
- Limit alcohol use
- If you don’t drink, it’s not recommended that you start drinking alcohol. If you choose to drink, do so only in moderation, which is no more than 1 drink per day for women and no more than 2 drinks per day for men. Some people should drink less and some people should not drink at all.
- Taking measures to protect yourself and family from harm and injury, including self-harm or domestic abuse***
- If you have thoughts of hurting yourself or others — or you know someone having those thoughts — seek help right away. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 — or go to the closest emergency room.
- Maintaining a healthy weight and eating right
- Staying physically active
- Talk with your doctor before significantly increasing your activity level. Ask about the amounts and types of activities that may be best for you.
Veterans Day is a day to honor those who answered the call to serve, and it can also be used as a reminder to our veterans that help is out there whether their wounds are physical or in the form of mental health challenges, or both. If you are a veteran or take care of someone who served, it’s important to take an active role in your health with your health care provider.
To reach a trained crisis counselor, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273- 8255). You may also chat at 988.lifeline.org.
Veteran’s Crisis Line 1-800-273-TALK (8255) and Press 1 offers live, trained responders to speak with by phone, text (Text 838255), or by online chat. The free resource is confidential, available 24/7, and is run by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
