Remembering Veteran's on Veteran's Day

Veteran's Day serves as a reminder every year of those who have fought for our country's freedom. Veterans have served our country and have been exposed to the consequences of war which can lead to mental illness, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorder (SUD). Veterans and active duty military members experience unique circumstances due to the culture of the military, stressors involved with deployments and war. There are risk factors associated with deployments such as smoking, unhealthy drinking norms, drug use, and increased likelihood to engage in risky behavior (Veteran's Affairs, 2011). Co-occurring diagnoses of PTSD and SUD's are very common in the United States for those within the military impacting 2 out of 10 veterans.

The military has a zero-tolerance policy towards illicit drug use and does mandatory random drug testing which deters members from engaging in risky behaviors. Conversely, this policy can add stigma and discourage those who have an addiction for seeking help due to fear of consequences from the military. Service members can get dishonorable discharge and even face possible criminal prosecution for a positive drug test.
In terms of treatment, research shows that treating PTSD and substance abuse problems works best when treated together as a dual diagnosis. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2017) found that veterans were more likely to use alcohol (56.6%), with 7.5% reporting heavy drinking within a 1-month period. Additionally, 65% of veterans who enter a treatment program report alcohol as the substance they most frequently misuse, which is double that of the general population.
Many times, veterans will have severe symptoms of mental illness and are more likely to attempt suicide. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services (2023), in 2020, 17.5% (about 426,000) veterans experienced serious thoughts about ending their life and 2.5% planned to try to die by suicide. For SUD specifically, 91.1% of veterans who did not have treatment were more likely to die by suicide. Sadly, 51.1% (about 9.3 million) of those with a diagnosis of mental illness did not receive treatment for their diagnosis.
Prevention towards substance abuse is attainable with help from the community, the department of Veteran's Affairs (VA), and interpersonal relationship building between other veterans will help.
There are local resources and federally funded programs that help veterans towards combatting against substance abuse within the veteran population.
New Haven Vet Center: A no-cost non-medical setting located in Orange, CT, that provides services to veterans, and their families. They provide services for other locations if needed and provides counseling services, referral services, and other services. Link to these services can be found through providing input in regard to zip code, address, and what type of services will be needed. Link to New Haven Vet Center: https://www.va.gov/find-locati...
Veterans Crisis Line- A free, confidential hotline for members of the service even if they're not enrolled in the VA system. Dial 988 on your phone and press 1 for assistance. This service also provides resources for local services using zip code and address. More information can be found here: https://www.veteranscrisisline...
Epiphany Wellness Center- Epiphany Wellness Center is an addiction treatment center in CT that specializes in treating substance use disorders with multiple options for treatment such as medical detox, partial hospitalization programs (more flexibility in treatment programs), and intensive outpatient programs. They also have a 24-hour confidential hotline which can be found using the number 866- 886-6118. Their website can be found here: https://www.epiphanywellnessce...
References:
Astiyah, R. (2023). Happy Veterans Day Vector Illustration on 11 November with USA flag and soldiers for honoring all who served in flat kids cartoon background. 123RF. https://www.123rf.com/photo_21...
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2023, April 13). Substance use and military life drugfacts. National Institutes of Health. https://nida.nih.gov/publicati...

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023, April 13). Substance use and military life drugfacts. National Institutes of Health. https://nida.nih.gov/publicati...

Veteran’s Affairs. (2011, December 22). PTSD and Substance Abuse in Veterans. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/unders...