That sort of aftermath worsens PTSD in combat veterans. Untreated PTSD is a major cause of homelessness in veterans, stemming directly from the combat experience. Nobody who has not gone through a similar experience can imagine how savage the nightmares are, how terrifying the flashbacks that close in on you. Imagine trying to hold a job while carrying the burden of a serious mental health problem and a major addiction. Imagine trying to keep your home or your family.
Most homeless veterans live alone, afraid to trust anyone.
If you don't look for PTSD, you won't find it. Access to homeless veterans begins with trust and they find it hard to trust anyone who doesn't understand where they've been and how they got where they are now. The everyday world seems shallow and false. Arrogance is often a defense against the terror of being alone in hostile territory. For such men, panhandling is not easy work.