We Must Do Better in Helping Veterans with Alcohol and Drug Problems
We Must Do Better in Helping Veterans with Alcohol and Drug Problems
The United States did a dreadful job in recognizing and addressing the alcohol and drug problems of Vietnam era veterans. In shameful fact, a significant percent of the nation’s homeless men are Vietnam—and now Gulf War—veterans who never got the help they needed when they got home. Research has shown that the start of heavy alcohol and drug use in Vietnam veterans was associated with exposure to violence in Vietnam. For many, drinking and drug use escalated rapidly as they self-medicated with alcohol and drugs to calm Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)-related arousal, increased rapidly when they came home and became a chronic and unremitting addiction.
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