High numbers of veterans struggle with alcohol addiction. Alcohol addiction treatment for veterans in Mississippi can help provide the resources a veteran needs to overcome alcohol abuse and heal the underlying causes of their addiction.
Choosing an addiction treatment program designed to address the needs of veterans is essential to helping ensure the reasons behind a veteran’s drinking are adequately explored, understood, and supported.
Woodland Recovery Center is a substance use treatment center that offers programs designed specifically to address substance use among veterans. Give us a call today at 662.222.2989 for more information on the veterans’ addiction program at Woodland Recovery Center.
Understanding the Connection Between Alcohol Abuse and Veterans
Veterans face unique challenges that the general population doesn’t always understand. From warzone trauma to family relationships damaged by long absences, many of the factors that contribute to alcohol abuse among veterans differ from the central issues covered in a treatment program designed to address an individual with a civilian background.
There’s no one reason for the connection between binge drinking and veterans, but there are several contributing factors that help to explain why alcohol abuse among veterans is so common.
Active Duty and PTSD
You’ve probably seen the depiction of a veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder portrayed in film or on television. The stereotypical media depiction of a veteran dealing with PTSD usually includes being triggered by noises that recall memories of gunfire, flashbacks to war zones, or panic attacks.
Such depictions fall short of capturing the whole truth. PTSD can manifest itself in many ways. Some of these include:
- Flashbacks
- Anxiety attacks
- Difficulty sleeping or having nightmares
- Emotional shutdown or compartmentalization
- Numbness
- Isolation or withdrawal
Some signs of PTSD are harder to recognize than others. It’s very common for a veteran struggling with PTSD to seek relief by using alcohol or other substances—often without even realizing that PTSD is what they’re dealing with.
Impact on Personal Life
The impact of military service on personal life is often a contributing factor when it comes to the relationship between alcohol abuse and veterans.
Service places unique stressors on a family. Milestone events in children’s lives are missed, the opportunity for intimacy between spouses is limited, and it’s generally more difficult to maintain close relationships for those stationed far from home.
When a veteran’s closest relationships are undermined through long absences, alcohol can become a coping mechanism for dealing with the loss.
Alcohol Use in the Military
It’s a well-known fact that alcohol abuse is common in the military. Stressors like traumatic warzone experiences and separation from family members often add to the frequency of alcohol abuse. It may also be used to help service members bond.
Regardless of the reasons, habitual alcohol abuse comes at a high cost and is a contributing factor to the relationship between binge drinking and veterans.
Veterans Affairs Pays for Rehab
It’s common for veterans and their family members to experience difficulty getting Veterans Affairs approval for alcohol addiction treatment.
Choosing a treatment program that is both informed and equipped to address a veteran’s unique background is vital for your or your loved one’s recovery, and it can also help you pay for treatment through Veterans Affairs.
Our treatment center’s program for veterans will typically handle your Veterans Affairs claim directly, reducing the stress and hassle so that you can focus on recovery.
Support for Veterans at Woodland Recovery Center
Woodland Recovery Center understands the toll that military service can take on an individual’s mental, physical, and emotional life. Our goal is to provide compassionate, effective treatment targeted to meet the unique needs of veterans whose service has left them struggling with a substance use disorder.
To learn more about getting support for alcohol abuse, call 662.222.2989 and ask about the veterans’ addiction program at Woodland Recovery Center. You can also reach us through our online contact form.
