Transitioning from military to civilian life often causes a considerable amount of stress for Veterans.
Unlike military life, which is highly structured with a clear chain of command, civilian life is generally very unstructured which can be very challenging to navigate. It's an extreme and abrupt change to ones lifestyle.
Finding a job, finding housing, getting transportation, family issues and coping with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are a few of the transitions and challenges that could trigger overwhelming stress.
The overwhelming stress of military to civilian life may cause some veterans to rely on substances such as alcohol, marijuana or opioids opioids to cope.
Chronic Pain from the Battlefield
Chronic pain is a major problem for many veterans, due to battlefield injuries.
Chronic pain affects 60% of veterans who served in the Middle East, and more than 50% of older veterans in the VA health care system.
Chronic pain is often treated with opioid painkillers, which can lead to a substance use disorder, especially if the Veteran turns to heroin.
Some Veterans turn to alcohol to help them cope with chronic pain, due to the belief that alcohol isn't as risky to use as prescription opioids.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Exposure to combat and other life-threatening situations can be very traumatic. It can lead to both physical injuries and long-lasting psychological wounds.
Veterans often have high levels of PTSD from experiences during combat, terrorist attack, or other traumatic incidents while serving in the military.
Female veterans are at a higher risk of sexual assault, which most often leads to PTSD.
PTSD is very common among veterans – it affects 1 in 3 veterans who seek help for a substance use disorder.
Veterans often try to cope with PTSD by drinking heavily or using other substances to help cope with their emotional and psychological pain.
