Remembrance Day 2008: Combating Addictions

Veteran Substance Abuse
Remembrance Day 2008: Combating Addictions
© Karen Stephenson

Oct 25, 2008

Their tour of duty has ended but for thousands of servicemen and women, the battle for sanity can last a lifetime. Substance abuse and PTSD takes it toll on our veterans.

Demanding environments that leave images of human carnage, shrills of horror and the stench of burned flesh transforms a healthy mind into one that desperately needs help.

In a 2003 report, Veteran Affairs (VA) in the U.S. reported that 81% of veterans had a serious psychiatric or substance abuse disorder. 33% suffered from both. Although accurate numbers are difficult to verify, the VA estimates that nearly 200,000 veterans are homeless on any given night, 42 % of those served in Vietnam.

Kathie Costos, an IOFC Senior Ordained Chaplain has spent twenty-five years of her life dedicated to helping those American servicemen and women who fought for freedom and democracy. Ms. Costos states: “Veterans are misdiagnosed as being alcoholic or drug addicts, but the truth is they are not addicted to the chemicals.” She says that veterans are seeking relief from the pain that combat has left them with. Ms. Costos also says that many veterans are treated as addicts without getting to the root of the real problem, post traumatic stress disorder.
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