Accelerated Resolution Therapy Case Study

Substance abuse among our veterans is much greater than our civilian populations. This is largely caused by post-traumatic stress disorder, associated from combat, and who have endured multiple deployments. In most cases, veterans who have turned to alcohol or drugs have a dual diagnosis. They not only have a problem with alcohol or drugs, but they also suffer from a mental or mood disorder that has a major impact on these issues. In most cases the mood disorder is post-traumatic disorder(PTSD), which results from being in combat. According to

Alcohol use and abuse is prevalent among members of the United States military as well as among the veteran population. Binge and heavy drinking is commonplace among the military and veterans. Veterans and members of the active duty military face a unique set of challenges when compared to the civilian population. There is a trend of combat exposure leading to a higher risk to abuse alcohol. For over a decade the United States military was involved in combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). This has lead to a generation of service men and women as well as veterans with a host of physical and mental injuries as a result multiple combat deployments. There are many veterans and active duty personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as traumatic brain injuries (TBI) as a result of their deployment in support of OIF and OEF. There is a link between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and a higher potential for the abuse of alcohol. Veterans and members of the armed forces deal with a host of psychological injuries related to the stresses of combat which can lead to the abuse of alcohol as a coping mechanism.

The VA runs the largest substance use disorder treatment program in the world. Treatment of veterans with SUDs and co-occurring psychiatric disorders is one of the following three paradigms; parallel, sequential, and integrated. Most VA programs are parallel, where the patient receives treatment for SUD in one program and treatment for PTSD in another. Many SUD-PTSD veterans may be unable to navigate the separate systems or make sense of the disparate messages about PTSD treatment and recovery. One challenge to dissemination and implementation of EBTs is that of dual disorders, particularly SUD and PTSD. These patients use costly inpatient services, tend to have frequent relapses, and are less likely to adhere to or complete treatment.

The mean age for the participants in the study was 45. The study also took in account the time of service from the veterans, 60% served in the 1970's, 18% in the 1960's, and 18% in the 1980's (Carlson, Gavert, Macia, Ruzek, & Burling, 2013). The study includes veterans that suffer from personality disorders as well as alcohol abuse. Participants within the study are a mixture of races and come from various backgrounds. Included in demographic questions is if the veteran is divorced or married, which may also be a factor in this study. Additionally military branch information and associated was

All too often, the wellbeing of United States Veterans is overlooked. Alcohol abuse in veterans in a frequent problem and many feel like they have no way to seek help. To see the people who fought for our country feeling hopeless when fighting an addiction is We can solve alcohol abuse in veterans by offering PTSD counseling, alcohol rehabilitation, and having families work together to end the alcohol abuse.

Each of these veterans carry the physical and emotional scars of war. Most of these veterans have some form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or some level of Psychophysiological Pain. The current Veterans Affairs (VA) system is limited to treating these symptoms with opioids or moderately effective mental therapy. 34 Much of the opioid use leads to addiction, overdose, or even suicide. 35 Many veterans that have begun using marijuana, under the threat of losing all of their VA benefits, have reported marijuana is a much more effective, and less addictive, treatment in coping with nightmares, flashbacks, depression, and pain. 36 According to the VA approximately 31% of Vietnam Veterans, 10% of Gulf War Veterans, 11% of Afghan War Veterans, and 21% of Iraq War Veterans suffer from PTSD. 37 According to other reports, some 22 veterans commit suicide per day due to PTSD or pain. 38

PTSD is just a precursor to abuse of drugs and alcohol. The study further states that Viet Nam vets had the larger percentage of drug users than all the other war veterans of WWII, Korea, Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan, to date. The study presented evidence that spouses of veterans were diagnosed with PTSD more than civilians and that they were more likely to abuse substances. Research confirmed that those that exhibited symptoms of PTSD from dealing with the outbursts of the vets would self-medicate with the illicit use of drugs and alcohol to combat the stress that their partners put upon

Substance abuse is a recurring problem in the military. The USA Today news article; “Ex-soldier Returns to Fight Substance Abuse in Military” talks about Frank L. Greenagel Jr., who opened up a counseling center for substance abuse. He also served in the military and agreed that there are many individuals who are dealing with substance addiction while serving the country. It is clear that these individuals need help before things could potentially become fatal.

Even though there is a high risk of mental health problems among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, there has been no systematic studies of mental health care utilization among these veterans after deployment (Hoge, Auchterlonie, and Milliken, 2006). Such studies are an important part of measuring the mental health burden of the current war and ensuring that there are adequate resources to meet the mental health care needs of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan (Hoge, Auchterlonie, and Milliken, 2006). When a person is in the military, he or she may experience a lot of traumatic events; therefore, PTSD becomes more prevalent in their lives post-war. There was a research conducted after other military conflicts that has shown that deployment stressors and exposure to combat result in considerable risks of mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression, substance abuse, impairment in social functioning and in the ability to work, and the increased use of health care services (Hoge, Castor, Messer, McGurk, Cotting, & Koffman, 2004).Veterans in America have a history of mental illness, thus it is important that there are a variety of treatment options available for veterans. Most veterans with mental health problems refused to go in for services because

Art therapy is a Multi-Functional Psychological therapy that helps the mental mind in connecting things that are disconnected like a patient with alzheimer's where the patient's medial temporal lobe that’s the part of the brain that controls memory. The medial temporal lobe is vital in the brain because that is where the brain recollects the memories and stores them. When you get older the lobe gets weaker in which causes it to disconnect thus causing “memory loss” or dementia. In art therapy we like to cause a visual reconnection of that nerve so in which a patient then can remember more but in a visual stance as in some people like to look at photographs to visually which allows memories to reconnect. These programs are put into place to help anyone with mental issues they are put in place just to help.

Many of the veterans experience a multitude of issues linked to PTSD. Some of these can include depression, employment, increase demands on healthcare services, and social impairment. Physical health issues associated with PTSD can include respiratory, hypertension, skin, hearing and deafness, stomach, urinary and even musculoskeletal complications (Benyamini and Solomon, 2005:1271; Boscarino, 2006:253-254; Hoge, et al., 2006:1023; O’Toole and Catts, 2008:34). A number of soldiers in these studies reported an increase in substance abuse. This misuse of substances is either through alcohol, cigarettes, prescription medications, or other drugs (Benyamini and Solomon, 2005:1268; Browne et al., 2008:628; Hanwella, et al., 2014:4-6; Smith, et

This disorder leads the veterans to substance abuse to calm their nerves and help them feel more at ease. The substance abuse, in turn, leads the veterans to be more hostile, aggressive, and violent to those people around them, especially their families. A study found in The American Journal of Psychiatry revealed, "Increases in alcohol and substance abuse closely paralleled the increase in PTSD symptoms seen in the period during and immediately after the war. Patients reported that alcohol, heroin, marijuana, opiates, and benzodiazepines (but not cocaine) were beneficial for their symptoms of

They include headaches, stomach pain, sleep problems, and chronic pain. Soldiers often struggle with reliving the war by having disturbing nightmares and flashbacks. This causes the body to go into a cold sweat and have an increased heart rate (Collins 5). According to a US Department of Defense study, “the veterans with PTSD were 77% more likely to develop dementia as those without it when risk factors related to Alzheimer’s disease were included” (Boyles 1). The physical ailments of PTSD often lead the veteran to rely on alcohol and pain medicines for extended periods of time, which leads to a battle of addiction. The US Department of Defense reports the rate for veteran prescription drug misuse is 11.7 %. This is drastically higher than the civilian rate by two-and-a-half times. While many veterans have serious physical issues, this study documents the blatant misuse of prescription

Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that may develop after experiencing or seeing a traumatic or a brutal life threatening event. It is increasingly on the rise in war veterans. For those with PTSD only 53 percent have seen physicians or a mental health care provider. And for those who sought out care, roughly only 50 percent received adequate treatment when returning from combat. Although there are many treatments available most patients disregard the obvious signs of PTSD. Because some are afraid of the stigma of PTSD and being labeled as a crazy or violent person, If we create awareness and stop this ignorant notion, people with the disorder would

Kevin E. Kip, PhD, conducted a randomized controlled trial of Accelerated Resolution Therapy to judge its effects on veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. For this study, Veterans were recruited from veteran membership organizations, such as the Veteran’s Hospital, within the Tampa Bay area, as well as through classes here at USF. The average age of the participants was 41.4. 19.3% of participants were female, 84.2% were Caucasian, and 10.5% were Hispanic/Latino. The majority of study participants were veterans. Nearly half (42.1%) were receiving disability for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, approximately half reported 5 or more traumatic memories, and 68.4% had received prior treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Screening processes used for trial eligibility included the 17-item Military Checklist, the 125-item Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ), and self-developed 9-item ART