Veterans and substance abuse
The war in Iraq and Afghanistan has been long and arduous taking the lives of many brave men and women. With the soldiers’ return home from their tours of duty many are now having to fight a war against substance abuse.
” War takes a toll on soldiers’ minds as well as their bodies, causing them to return home addicted to drugs or alcohol or suffering from mental illness.”
The military prescribes medications to soldiers to help ease the stresses of war, the physical pain from injury or in many cases medications that aid in keeping soldiers alert. These types of prescription drugs are helpful to those who are in need, but what happens when the soldiers return home? Dependency on the prescription drugs helped them cope with war but has now left them addicted.
“ The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) teamed up with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide $7 million for substance abuse research among the military. This funding will focus on the causes of substance abuse, prevention, screening, and treatment, and also things like PTSD that go along with substance abuse. With the help of this money there will be more research done on how to prevent and treat these kinds of war-time problems, and much will be learned about how to keep other soldiers from being affected.”
If you are a vetern of war and need addiction treatment, call on one of our referral specialists. We are here to help you fight the war on addiction and find a treatment center specially suited to meet your needs.
