Veterans , Drug Addiction & PTSD

For many of our brothers and sisters in arms drug addiction & PTSD go hand and hand. When they return from a stressful environment or a mentally demanding situation, sometimes they seek comfort through self medication. Whether it be alcohol, or other substances it effects everyone. Most service members feel they are alone, in this process. At times the people who can help them miss read signs or simply aren’t sure what they can do to help. I think it’s very important we need to take the extra step and do all we can. As a service member of 16 years, I’ve seen countless of brothers and sisters spiral out of control. Even to the point where it was to late and I questioned myself as to why did I not noticed it. As service members we are use to seeing our brothers and sisters at their strongest and best. They are even mentors to us, but what we are not use to seeing them at their most vulnerable. Yes we see them fall and get back up, and we think they’re strong they’ll get passed it. Or even say to our self’s, ” I know them, they wouldn’t let them self get that lost.” But it happens, I lost one of my mentors like that. In a way I never thought it would happen. We would have conversations about the subject and we were always in agreement “that would never be us”.

Some service members , use substances to forget and some to continue their day. But eventually there will be a point when they lose control. That’s when we should be there to help guide them, give them support. Even if it’s not to them directly but to their family. We need to help them become strong again. Now I don’t claim to know a lot but this is a very personal topic for me. Because I felt like I let someone down, I didn’t see the signs, either I didn’t want to or because I thought I knew how mentally resilient the person was before. Either way I can’t change the past, but I can effect how I see it from this point on.

There are tons of sites dedicated to help veterans with addiction and PTSD. Here are a couple sites with great information on the topic and 24 hour assistance:

• DrugRehab.com 

• AddictionCenter.com

• PTSD.VA.Gov

• AddictionResource.com

And if your not sure what signs your looking for here are some examples:

• Physical pain due to health problems

• Difficulty connecting with family and peers 

• Trouble retaining a job

• Having a hard time connecting with people socially

• Flashbacks

• Memory issues 

• Depression

• Feeling of lost or hopelessness 

• Difficulty  sleeping

• Aggression

• Trouble concentrating

• Self-destructive behavior

• Substance abuse

I’m not going to give you numbers and data on this subject. That’s what all those sites I posted are there for.  Chances are if you’re a service member you know a story or you know someone. The topic is all to real, I just want to make you all aware, that someone out there needs help. The military isn’t just a job, for most of us it’s family. We need to make sure every bodies six is covered, not just downrange.