A Veteran’s Post-War Battle

Once a member of the armed forces returns home to a city like Los Angeles from deployment, his or her battle is not always over. Many military veterans experience symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain that need to be treated with prescription medications. Studies have shown that Americans in the military are prescribed three times the amount of prescription painkillers as a normal civilian.

This increase in narcotics prescribed to military veterans also greatly increases the odds of addiction and the need for more drug rehab centers to aid those who have gone to war. Prescription drug addiction is much higher among veterans than civilians and has increased throughout the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Veterans from Los Angeles and across the country who have been deployed multiple times and who have engaged in combat are at a much higher risk of developing addictions and needing the services of drug rehab centers. These soldiers are more likely to engage in heavy drinking throughout the week, suffer from drug and alcohol addiction and are much more likely to start smoking.

While American veterans from Los Angeles to the East Coast experience the lowest rate of other illicit drug use, prescription opiate abuse is the highest among this group. It is believed that this issue stems from the ease of access to prescription drugs and the amount of prescriptions given out to veterans. It is no wonder why the U.S. has seen a rise in the number of addictions in service members and their increasing need for treatment from drug rehab centers across the country.

Between 2001 and 2009 the amount of pain reliever medications prescribed by military physicians quadrupled. This trend is most likely due to the amount of combat-related injuries and bodily harm caused from carrying around heavy equipment.

These powerful medications not only alleviate severe pain, but can also relieve anxiety caused by PTSD. The dangers of this are that although the effects are temporary, medications may worsen a veteran’s emotional state and cause a dependency on the drug. As such, many veterans will need to seek treatment from drug rehab centers across the country in cities like Los Angeles, not only to find help for a drug addiction but also to treat their PTSD.

Veterans deal with many different issues when they return home from war thanks to the brutal physical and mental trauma they experienced oversees. Although many veterans experience pain, doctors may be too quick to prescribe medication without thinking about the dangers of addiction.

Leah Ferguson is a health writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Miramar Drug and Alcohol Reheb Centers. Follow on Twitter