July 08, 2008

Drinking Due To PTSD Apparently Way Up Among Iraq War Vets

An interesting piece in today's New York Times that details drinking problems among returned troops and the utter lack of substance abuse and mental health services available to help out vets with PTSD. It's worth a read and it's kind of clear that there's a problem out there.

I've made the point before on this site that we are going to be paying the price for the Iraq War for a long time in terms of returned troops with PTSD (a term I know some readers don't like and which I use merely for convenience). It's beginning to sound like the Iraq War will make what went down with Vietnam vets look like a warm up. We need to heed the experiences of that era and the homelessness and psychological wreckage it caused and get things right this time. We've put these folks through a real meat grinder and we need to help them get whole again.

The trouble is I don't think anyone knows how you do that in an effective, predictable fashion and we've certainly already seen cases of troops dying as a result of PTSD treatments (generally a mix of anti-depressants and antipsychotics) and, as Time reported last month, we are sure medicating the hell out of our troops. And those approaches sure don't seem to be working very well.

Posted by Philip Dawdy at July 8, 2008 01:15 PM
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Comments

I read this article too and I sure wondered how many of those guys who were drinking themselves to oblivion were also on a med or two. Antidepressants can produce a craving for alcohol -- it's even listed as a side effect. I didn't buy it when the writer said some were "untreated" frankly. Yes, these guys need help, support, and empathy but not the kind of mental health services people are generally advocating for unfortunately.

Posted by: Sara at July 8, 2008 02:20 PM

what do i detest about this Iraq deal? seeing someone full of life, funny, humourous and brilliant; being broken as a result. PTSD? that hardly describes it. I dare anyone to come up with a better term: how about WFPU. war fucks people up. forever.

Who are you (in the U.S.) voting for?!

Posted by: Stephany at July 8, 2008 06:28 PM

I feel very bad about the troops. Live near a base. Our local "nuthouse" is full of traumatized vets.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a superior solution to PTSD than drugs...but its not as profitable.

Posted by: J.D.R at July 10, 2008 05:22 AM

Stephany- That's funny but what a tragic story. All these young soliders and I can't even fathom (well, I can) what lies ahead for them in the way of stigma, misdiagnosis, and an uncertain future. It is so sad....

Posted by: Angie at July 10, 2008 07:06 AM

Angie, yes it is tragic and sad. I've had several students I tuaght as kids be deployed; and most recently the one i wrote about here-- is my attorney. it really struck home with me when laughing and joking with him one day, and a week later; finding out he was deployed...i just hope the best for all of them.

Posted by: Stephany at July 10, 2008 09:29 AM

This breaks my heart. The suicide rate among returning vets is sky high. When I worked on the suicide hotline we got calls from vets, drunk and playing Russian Roulette while they talked to us.


Something has to be done. These men and women deserve better than they are getting, and Philip is right Vietnam is going to look like a warm up compared to this disaster.

Posted by: susan at July 12, 2008 05:49 PM

I see the recruiting ads on TV constantly up in the Adirondacks where I am staying for the summer. It is a "ripe" area for recruiting because unemployment is high. I think back to the Vietnam vets who lived in teepees in the woods, and feel sad that this round is going to be twice as bad as that one was.

Troops equal cannon fodder. And the military is trying to get a lot of them discharged without a diagnosis so they don't have to pay for anything.

Many nice kids are broken. Or dead.

Posted by: sorrowful at July 13, 2008 07:39 AM

My daughter who has been in psych wards for nearly 3 years, never registered to vote or never finished high school gets recruitment letters in the mail all of the time. Makes me sick, like everything else lately.

Posted by: Stephany at July 13, 2008 01:08 PM

My name is Andy and i work for MTV True life. True Life is a documentary series that’s been on MTV for 10 years. Each episode of “True Life” is about a different topic. Most of the topics have some global, social or personal importance, like this one. Some of them are about youth culture, like episodes about gamers or cheerleaders. All episodes aim to tell deeply personal stories. There is no host, reporter or narrator. The young people tell their own stories in their own voices. So what we are looking for are veterans of the Iraq War who appear to be 28 years old or younger and have either been diagnosed with PTSD or have symptoms of PTSD. We’re looking for veterans who are willing to share their struggle with PTSD with a national audience. If you or someone you know is interested in speaking with us about participating in this documentary, please contact us at:

ptsd@mtvn.com or tlptsd@gmail.com
718-422-0706

Posted by: MTV True life at July 14, 2008 01:00 PM
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