How common is addiction in veterans?
Addiction is common in veterans. There is no doubt that the veterans or service members serve the country and sacrifice their lives. But it is also true that these sacrifices will impact their mental health. The veteran family members will experience it as their veterans come with PTSD, addiction, and other misusing habits.
Every veteran has a different kind of addiction due to various situations. Many service members have post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, high-stress levels, physical pain, and drug addiction. These conditions even trigger more with the high-stress level and continuous use of drugs and alcohol.
It is difficult for the families to know the reasons behind the change in veterans’ behavior. However, addiction in veterans is common.
Here we will share some facts that make it familiar to military persons.
So let’s dive into it.
Why is addiction common in veterans?
The service personnel has severe cases of addiction. Many veterans struggle to deal with the habit even though there are many treatments available.
The primary reasons behind the addiction are co-occurring disorders like PTSD, depression, etc. Moreover, traumatic events can cause multiple deployments and trigger the usage of drugs or alcohol. In addition, later, it will lead to the continuous addiction that causes the veteran’s life and service career.
PTSD and addiction in veterans
The veterans who suffer from the addiction also have PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. It is also known as shellshock and battle fatigue. It is also due to witnessing warfare along with the startling events. You can also check the states that PTSD can cause combat effects. The veterans who have the addiction may face difficult, traumatic situations. The military personnel always pass through stressful conditions that lead to memory problems, hopelessness, trouble sleeping, aggression, etc.
These symptoms can trigger traumatic accidents that cause the veterans to use drugs. The addiction to drugs, along with PTSD, makes them dependent on drugs and alcohol. It is hard to overcome the addiction event with regular treatment. These symptoms not only cause the addiction but also bring negative feelings.
Statistics for Veterans Addiction
Now many studies declare that veteran addiction is common. Usually, we have the concept of chronic pain, mental health and substance abuse in military persons. But they also have a drug addiction that can lead to many health issues that affect the veteran’s service performance.
According to studies, it is clear that one in twenty veterans have a drug and other substance addiction. It is not a new trend in veterans as the long term substance disorder has been continuous for decades. If we talk about the United States, then the citizens believe that the usage of alcohol or other drugs is not an issue. But the, the veteran who starts using the substance misuse due to mental problems can cause severe abuse in their health. Moreover, no one wants to be an addict to any drug or mental condition, including the civilians.
Common addictions in Veterans
Now it is clear that addiction is common in veterans. But every veteran uses a different type of substance to satisfy the addiction. Here are the common addictions in veterans or drug misuse.
Alcohol Misuse
Alcohol usage is strictly permitted for military personnel. The national institute of drug abuse also declares that the alcohol is most common addictive substance among service members. They prefer using alcohol among the other senses. Sixty-five per cent of veterans are using alcohol in all fields of service, including the navy, marines, and air force. The service members drink four times more than the women. They start drinking after having severe traumatic conditions, and even it leads to high addiction rates.
Opioid Misuse
Opioid use is common globally, right after alcohol. It helps in pain relief, and military persons use it to deal with painful conditions, especially chronic pains. The heavy gear and injuries can cause severe pain, and the veterans use opioids for instant relief. Besides the pain relief effect, it is an addictive medicine that can cause severe addiction. The old veterans use the high dosage of opioids to stay active in wars and become addicted to them. However, the young veterans also use opioids, leading to the addictive condition.
Cigarette Smoking
Smoking is one of the most addictive materials not only in veterans but also in civilians. Chain smokers can not resist their addiction and need cigarettes for proper functioning. According to a survey, more than 48000 service members have a cigarette smoking addiction. Some of them smoke due to stress, and most have an addiction. When they continue to smoke, they will get a nicotine addiction. After the crucial phase, their physical body is dependent on nicotine.
Veterans Struggling With Addiction and Mental Health
The veterans have a high risk of addiction which is also famous as a co-occurring disorder. The dual diagnosis of addiction and stress conditions can cause severe health conditions. Post-traumatic stress disorder also leads the veterans to mental disorders in military members. Service members return to the stress and depression, and both occur together.
We all know that PTSD and addiction are dangerous in veterans due to increased symptoms. Mental health conditions become worse once veterans become addicted. In addition, it also increases suicidal thoughts.
Now veterans who are suffering from addiction need to take the proper medication. It helps to recover from the stress and addiction after continuous treatment. The experts will help the veterans become more passionate about the services and deal with traumatic conditions other than starting to take the drugs.
Ensure that you also take the regular advice and focus more on your physical and mental health. The rehab centers also help the veterans overcome their situation and become healthy people. The proper medication and therapies are the only reasons to overcome common addictions.
We hope this guide will help you know how addiction is common in veterans and what are its common reasons.
