Happy Independence Day! The 4th of July is normally a day for friends and family, barbecues and fireworks. But we should also think of our military personnel serving around the world and at home. Many soldiers returning from deployment suffer from pain, insomnia, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which often leads to drug abuse.
This NY Times article discusses the increased use of prescription drugs and drug dependency, among other issues, for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Some highlights from the article include:
- “Prescription drug use is on the rise,” the report said, noting that medications were involved in one-third of the record 162 suicides by active-duty soldiers in 2009.
- The widespread availability of prescription medications is increasingly being linked by military officials to growing substance abuse, particularly with opiates. A Defense Department survey last year found that the illegal use of prescription drugs in the military had tripled from 2005 to 2008, with five times as many troops claiming to abuse prescription drugs than illegal ones like cocaine or marijuana.
If you are former military and suffer from addiction please give the Pasadena Recovery Center a call at (866) 663-3030.
Tags: Afghanistan, Army, dependency, drug dependency, Drug Rehab, help, Independence, Iraq, military, NY Times, Pasadena Recovery Center, prescription drugs, soldiers, Troops
