Today marks an important day of thanks to the brave men and women who have fought valiantly for our freedom. Their strength and courage make them some of the most important people this country will ever know. And yet, sadly, when their tour of duty ends and they finally return home, many veterans begin a different type of battle: addiction.
A recent study found that roughly 30% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans reported symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress, Traumatic Brain Injury, Depression or other cognitive disabilities. When left untreated, these situations often contribute to substance abuse and addiction, fatal overdoses, as well as violations of the law. The study found that more than 200,000 veterans are behind bars, nearly half due to drug-related offenses. Often addiction and incarceration go hand in hand. These veterans are also at risk for homelessness and suicide. The Veteran Affairs (VA) estimates that 180,000 veterans are homeless with 42% of them having served in Vietnam.
Studies show that veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars are increasingly turning to drugs and alcohol when they return home as a coping mechanism for the lingering stress of combat. These men and woman join a larger population of Vietnam veterans who have struggled with these problem for decades. And yet, mental health care providers continue to face mounting challenges in providing adequate and comprehensive care. We need to find more solutions that address all of the components (physical, psychological, behavioral and spiritual) of the disease of addiction to ensure less relapse and more successful recoveries. We need to work on erasing the stigma surrounding addiction so that more cases can be prevented through education and those who need treatment will seek it. We need to build bridges that will invite new ways of making treatment more accessible.
We need to do more than just thank our veterans today; we need to fight harder for them.
