Solutions To Aid OEF/OF Veterans

Critical Evaluation: Fewer than half of veterans suffering with PTSD seek treatment, making them more likely to engage in destructive actions that may ultimately involve law enforcement and the judicial system. A common problem associated with untreated PTSD involves substance abuse, which can lead to drunk driving, fighting, domestic violence, and even murder. All of these offenses may result in arrest and place the veteran in the court system. Other long-term problems may also be experienced by veterans with PTSD which can make them more likely

This week’s class content emphasized the importance of having well trained clinicians working with Veterans. Although PTSD, TBI, and SUD are not isolated to just Veterans an estimated 30 percent of Veterans are diagnosed with of one of the three conditions. With the diagnosis rate so high amongst Veterans the like likelihood that a clinician will encounter a Veteran suffering from one of these conditions is high. As a clinician that has experience working with Veterans with such diagnosis, I know that staying vigilant and aware is of the utmost importance to

Today, hundreds of thousands of service men and women and recent military veterans have seen combat. Many have been shot at, seen their buddies killed, or witnessed death up close. These are types of events that can lead to Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder ("Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD: A Growing Epidemic. “) Anyone that has gone through a traumatic event can be diagnosed with PTSD but research shows, military men and women are more susceptible to having PTSD (PTSD: A Growing Epidemic.) And, with little help from the US, many Veterans do not get the help they need or get treated for PTSD. Military men and women begin to

An interesting form of treatment for PTSD is exposure therapy, this treatment is for people with PTSD as well as substance abuse disorder (Coffey). There were 126 subjects all from an unlocked 6-week community residential SUD treatment facility. The idea behind the study was to add prolonged exposure to a 12-step program for those with PTSD-SUD. It was found that as with other cases prolonged exposure is helpful to those with PTSD and if it is early on in the substance abuse issue then it is helpful with

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.

Bennett, PhD; Hilary J. Liberty, Ph 2013 107). Prior research has evaluated the prevalence of MH concerns and opportunities for treatment at various points in the military/veteran career including post deployment, among those being treated at Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, and in the general population) (Andrew Golub, PhD; Peter Vazan, PhD; Alexander S. Bennett, PhD; Hilary J. Liberty, Ph 2013 107). The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data indicate that a substantial portion of young veterans in the general population have substance use disorder (18%) or Serious Psychological Distress (SPD) (14%) (Andrew Golub, PhD; Peter Vazan, PhD; Alexander S. Bennett, PhD; Hilary J. Liberty, Ph 2013 111). All in all, the NSDUH proved to be an extremely valuable resource for this study, and indeed, the results of this analysis for unmet treatment needs have identified important directions for further research into reasons for not getting treatment, especially for SPD (Andrew Golub, PhD; Peter Vazan, PhD; Alexander S. Bennett, PhD; Hilary J. Liberty, Ph 2013 113). The Veterans Administration and National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) are taking steps in the right direction to help our veterans with their unmet needs with substance abuse and PTSD. Some examples of improvements are, better mental health evaluations before leaving active duty, more information about military service, and tracking trends among veterans in the general population, who are not necessarily in contact with the

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 heroes that make up our armed forces often suffer from terrible experiences in battle, some of which severely impact their mental and physical health, including suffering from post traumatic stress disorder or PSTD. Unfortunately, this has caused many of them to turn to drugs, whether prescription or illicit, to treat these problems. In fact, recent statistics estimate that one in 10 soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq suffer from a substance abuse problem.

Treatment for co-ocurring disorders fall under the outpatient spectrum for addiction rehabilitation, however, it is an essential and successful form of treatment specifically for veterans. For many civilians who have not been to combat it is difficult to comprehend the toxic combination of pride, anger, duty, anguish and anxiety many veterans feel after their time in the service. Consequently, adjusting back to civilian life is a difficult task to accomplish; while some veterans sustain only minor physical and psychological wounds from combat, others aren’t as lucky. As mentioned above, for veterans, PTSD is considered a mental health condition caused by the traumatic events experienced in wartime. Thus often causing veterans to drugs or alcohol to self-medicate. If left unaddressed, PTSD and substance abuse in veterans can be

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.

Many veterans are unable to leave behind the trauma of Vietnam and psychologically return home. They struggle with a variety of extremely severe problems that neither they nor their families, friends, or communities knew how to understand

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

In implementing a program where veterans and their families can live and get needed resources, I first established connection with community organization. In my focus I asked myself some important questions that set the groundwork for this project. What are some of the areas organizations around the community such as churches and stores? What types of resources will I generate funding from? And what types of programs will be essential to serve the veterans and their families?

While PTSD and Depression are different disorders, they can be used to illustrate the pitfalls of an overmedicated society and highlight the effectiveness of IPT as an alternative psychotherapy treatment. Americans relying on medication in the treatment of disorders are being overmedicated by the drug industry, their treatments run higher risks of addiction and show short term remission. People are often placed on medications by doctors and therapists before any alternative treatments are considered or planned. Studies show that despite the popularity of medicating disorders, medication is less effective of a treatment.

The people or mental state can never be regained. Permanent loss is hard especially when a veteran has vivid memories that playout throughout the course of their life. I believe that the failure to properly treat these individuals upon return is the leading cause of substance abuse among combat veterans. The problem has been accepted as the norm. It’s believed that all prior soldiers drink, smoke, or use foul language. Long before the days of substance abuse treatment, the armed forces glamorized the use of alcohol. Substance abuse is deeply rooted in our military culture. Minimizing the use of legal and illegal substances hinders the Veteran from seeking the proper treatment. Abuse is prominent, for instance, one in eight troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan from 2006 to 2008 were referred for counseling for alcohol problems after their post-deployment health assessments, according to data from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance