Substance Abuse Among Veterans The Military And Alcohol...

Substance Abuse Among Veterans: The Military and Alcohol Introduction The U.S. military produces some of the bravest most heroic men and women on earth. From the moment the oath of enlistment is made to the time of separation or retirement, these courageous souls endure a number of amazing, historic and sometimes unbelievable events. They are praise for their service and lift even higher for their sacrifice, although most are unaware of the true sacrifices are made by some of these men and women. The most visible sacrifices or â€Å"outer sacrifices† are loss of life or loss of limbs while the inner wounds are bouts with depression, sexual assault, divorce, and most common alcohol other drug abuse. U.S. veterans and alcohol seem to go hand in hand. Even if a military member was not a user of alcohol prior to service almost all become a user during and after service. Alcohol is used frequently in military culture. Whether it is a celebration, promotion, victory, loss, demotion, or defeat alcohol is used to commemorate the moment. The question is what is alcohol and why is it the go to choice for services members? Alcohol According to Oxford Dictionaries, alcohol is a colorless volatile flammable liquid that is produced by the natural fermentation of sugars and is the intoxicating constituent of wine, beer, spirits, and other drinks, and is also used as an industrial solvent and as fuel (Fowler, H. W., Fowler, F. G., Murray, J. A. (1964). The concise Oxford dictionary fShow MoreRelatedEssay On Military Veterans1027 Words   |  5 PagesMcKinney, Hirsch, Britton (2017) state that the â€Å"disproportionate rate of suicide in the veteran population may be due to various risk factors†, including symptoms of PTSD and depression (p.100). Their study population was comprised of 545 military veterans who completed a Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire indicating a link between higher PTSD related suicide and depression (p. 100). McKinney et al. (2017) found that â€Å"Depression, as well as other disorders, often serves as a mediator of the relationRead MoreMost Common Means Of Suicide Among Military Veterans1469 Words   |  6 PagesActive Duty Service Members. Traditionally, the U.S. military has faced lower suicide rates compared to their civilian counterparts. However, the suicide rate among active duty military personnel has increased in the last decade, almost doubling in the Army and Marine Corps. Unlike the low active duty suicide rates of Vietnam, OEF/OIF active duty suicide rates are at near record highs (McCarl, 2013). 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