Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
These Anonymous Messages Sum Up What Many Veterans Experience When They Return From War
By Tom Makay
The news: A new report from Human Rights Watch says that up to half a million of our returning veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other wars are suffering from substance abuse disorders — with some of the biggest offenders including opioids and alcohol.
A stunning 1 million use prescription opioids for pain, and nearly half of those use them "chronically," or for more than 90 days.
While illicit drug and tobacco use rates have been falling over time among Army staff, alcoholism is on the rise and so is prescription drug abuse. The National Institute on Drug Abuse claims that some 27% of soldiers meet the criteria for alcohol abuse three to four months after returning from deployment, while prescription drug abuse doubled among U.S. personnel from 2002-2005 and almost tripled from 2005-2008.
The VA estimates that 22 veterans commit suicide every day. One out of three completed Army suicides involves drugs or alcohol. It is estimated that around 40% of the veterans in VA care have post-traumatic stress disorder, another unfortunate trend highlighted recently on July 4 when fireworks displays brought about panic attacks and anxiety among some veterans.
Whisper is a service that allows users to post short, anonymous messages. These powerful messages posted to the site show how widespread substance abuse can be in the military community — and illustrate the need to do far more.
http://mic.com/articles/93111/one-powerful-whisper-sums-up-what-many-veterans-experience-when-they-return-from-war?utm_source=policymicTBLR&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=social
The news: A new report from Human Rights Watch says that up to half a million of our returning veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other wars are suffering from substance abuse disorders — with some of the biggest offenders including opioids and alcohol.
A stunning 1 million use prescription opioids for pain, and nearly half of those use them "chronically," or for more than 90 days.
While illicit drug and tobacco use rates have been falling over time among Army staff, alcoholism is on the rise and so is prescription drug abuse. The National Institute on Drug Abuse claims that some 27% of soldiers meet the criteria for alcohol abuse three to four months after returning from deployment, while prescription drug abuse doubled among U.S. personnel from 2002-2005 and almost tripled from 2005-2008.
The VA estimates that 22 veterans commit suicide every day. One out of three completed Army suicides involves drugs or alcohol. It is estimated that around 40% of the veterans in VA care have post-traumatic stress disorder, another unfortunate trend highlighted recently on July 4 when fireworks displays brought about panic attacks and anxiety among some veterans.
Whisper is a service that allows users to post short, anonymous messages. These powerful messages posted to the site show how widespread substance abuse can be in the military community — and illustrate the need to do far more.
http://mic.com/articles/93111/one-powerful-whisper-sums-up-what-many-veterans-experience-when-they-return-from-war?utm_source=policymicTBLR&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=social