Addiction in the Military

Addiction in the Military

Alcohol in the armed forces

Alcohol abuse is an inescapable reality for many who serve in the armed forces. The prevalence of alcohol in the military, with its associated rituals and camaraderie is well known. Historically alcohol was seen as a means of 'man management' - the rum ration in the Royal Navy was only abolished in 1970. Overall alcohol is used and abused more frequently and in higher doses than in civilian life and this amplifies its negative effects both for men and women. These include drunkenness, fighting and abuse, poisoning, injury, hangovers, dependency and addiction (Lewis 2008).

A service member who has a drinking problem is a major cause of concern in the military. The armed forces can lose good and well-trained troops to the effects of alcohol abuse. Once a drinking problem has been identified it is incumbent on commanding officers to take action to correct the problem.

Illegal drug abuse in the military

The use of illegal drugs is obviously a very serious offence for anyone serving in the armed forces - as there is often a zero tolerance approach, but illegal drug abuse still accounts for a high number of discharges from the US military (17,000 since 1999). However the growing use of legal highs and the illegal use of prescription drugs should be of increasing concern for military health chiefs.

Prescription drugs

There have been huge increases in prescription drug use and abuse within the military in recent years. Anti-depressants, sedatives, antipsychotics and anti-anxiety are all routinely prescribed, and in some cases troops have to be trusted to self-regulate their intake for months at a time. As a result, prescription drug abuse was found to have almost tripled between 2005 and 2008 with one in four combat troops in the US admitting to prescription drug abuse. At the same time suicide rates in the military and amongst veterans is a growing concern for both the UK and US militaries (Grube 2009).

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the military

The nature of military life - especially combat duty - is closely linked to traumatic episodes. These traumatic episodes need to be processed and dealt with internally by individuals. However, the nature of combat duty, or the routine and duties of a military lifestyle can often lead to these issues being avoided, which in turn can lead to problems of isolation, depression and severe anxiety, which overwhelm the individual's ability to cope. These symptoms will often develop over time, and if they persist then a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is likely. Spontaneous recovery from PTSD is possible, but for a significant proportion, the disorder becomes chronic and needs specialist treatment.

Addiction & PTSD

The link between alcohol or drug abuse and trauma is certainly very close. Trauma patients are often seen to 'self-medicate' with alcohol or other depressants or stimulants in order to mask the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Before attempting to treat an individual with PTSD, their drinking habits should be known by their clinician, ...