News / Health & Wellness
Combat Drug Abuse
More military personnel, particularly those who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, are turning to drugs to cope.
Even as our troops are leaving Iraq, there are still many military personnel serving overseas in dangerous situations. So it’s timely that a new study on combat related substance use and abuse will be undertaken to look at what’s become a growing problem. The new study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), marks an innovative federal partnership that will look at returning military personnel.
Money for the Military
More than $6 million in federal funding will be spread out among 11 research institutions in 11 states to support research on substance abuse and associated problems among U.S. military personnel, veterans and their families. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, is collaborating with the Department of Veterans Affairs, to award grants that will examine substance abuse related to deployment and combat related trauma. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are also NIH partners in this endeavor.
Most of the research is directed at substance abuse and related conditions experienced by veterans returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There is a growing awareness that military personnel returning from these prolonged conflicts have a variety of serious problems, including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances and substance abuse. Some face these and other diverse symptoms as a result of traumatic brain injury or post traumatic stress disorder related to battle experiences. Many of these conditions are interconnected, and contribute to individual health and family relationship crises.
Despite the growing problem of substance use and abuse among military personnel in combat situations, there has been little research on how to prevent and treat unique characteristics of these wartime-related issues. Experts hope studies like these can shed light on the best way to treat or prevent the problem in the future.
PTSD Treatment
If you or someone you love is has served in the military has suffers from substance abuse or PTSD, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.
