by Kristen Furia

Created on: January 04, 2009

Statistics are showing that drug and alcohol addiction among the veterans from the war in Iraq is alarmingly high. The horrors of war leave lasting emotional scars that for many soldiers are just too hard to bear.

There are more and more soldiers returning everyday with PTSD symptoms and addictions to drugs and/or alcohol. "It very well could be an Army-wide problem," said Senator Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, who is advocating for more counselors to be hired. According to USA Today, the number of troops seeking help for substance abuse has increased by 25% in the past 5 years.

The chemical effects of narcotics produce increased levels of dopamine in your brain. This is what controls your feelings of pain and pleasure. Both heroin and prescription pain medications that include opiates are used to achieve the desired effects. You will begin to produce a tolerance for these drugs which causes you to feel the need to take more and more of them everyday. If you stop taking them suddenly you will get sick and go through with is called "withdrawal" from the drugs.

Alcohol produces a very similar effect in the brain. It is believed that alcohol produces a rush of endorphins that replace the ones that are lost during a traumatic experience. With this idea more and more alcohol is need to stop the pain of endorphin withdrawal. This is what causes alcohol addiction.

All of these provide them with a temporary relief from the pain that often develops into an addiction or dependency that requires professional therapy to overcome. Drug and alcohol treatment is often very successful and should not be delayed. The sooner treatment is attained; the greater the chances are for a total recovery.

The emotional problems that caused some soldiers to seek any means of escape are associated with a mental disorder known now as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. The addiction to chemical substances and PTSD often feed from one another making symptoms and rehabilitation for that person even more difficult. Treatment for the "co-existing" disorders is imperative before the symptoms begin to escalate further which can cause both mental and physical lasting health problems.

There are drug and rehabilitation facilities where professional and individual assessment can be attained and suitable treatment offered. Both PTSD and the addiction to chemical substances will have to be addressed if total rehabilitation is to occur. Support systems from family and friends at this point are crucial. They may be reluctant to seek treatment believing that to be a sign of weakness or subject of public's harsh judgment. You must urge them to seek the help they need and provide all of your support.

Our beloved soldiers will need all of the support they can get to put the tragic and traumatic events they have witnessed behind them and begin their recovery from addiction. The greater their support group, the greater the success rate of drug and alcohol treatments will become. Can you imagine if we ALL stood behind them?

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