Healing from addiction requires acquiring strategies to handle triggers and prevent relapse. In the recovery phase, triggers are inevitable, but veterans encounter unique challenges due to their service history. Luckily, there are efficient approaches for addressing these unique veteran triggers, assisting in upholding a commitment to recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recovery from addiction is a journey filled with obstacles, especially for veterans whose experiences in the military shape their struggles. While approximately 11% of veterans seeking care from the VA experience<\/a> substance use disorders, this number likely underestimates the true scope of addiction among veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among male veterans, the prevalence of alcohol use disorder stands<\/a> at 10.5%, while drug use disorder affects 4.8%. For female veterans, these rates slightly decrease to 4.8% and 2.4%, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The unique stressors faced during military service, such as combat exposure and traumatic deployments, can pave the way for addiction among veterans. Drugs and alcohol often become coping mechanisms to alleviate the physical and emotional toll endured during service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) emerges as a significant trigger for addiction among veterans, with approximately one-third of those seeking addiction treatment also living<\/a> with PTSD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PTSD symptoms, including intrusive memories and sleep disturbances, can trigger the desire to seek relief in substances. However, reliance on drugs or alcohol tends to worsen underlying mental health conditions over time, exacerbating issues such as depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Service-related injuries, often treated with opioid pain medications, present another significant trigger for addiction among veterans. Research highlights<\/a> the prevalent prescription of opioids to veterans for managing chronic pain, particularly among those contending with co-occurring mental health conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Veterans coping with injuries and chronic pain may turn to substances<\/a> as a means of coping. However, the risk of addiction escalates, especially for individuals concurrently diagnosed with PTSD or other mental health disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to unique triggers, veterans encounter<\/a> common relapse triggers such as stress, social isolation, and drug cravings. Nonetheless, effective strategies exist to navigate these challenges and maintain sobriety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mitigating PTSD-related triggers necessitates<\/a> tailored approaches, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Veterans grappling with pain-related triggers can explore<\/a> alternative pain management strategies, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to veteran-specific strategies, universal relapse prevention techniques play<\/a> a central role in fortifying sobriety:<\/p>\n\n\n\n An array of resources stands ready to assist veterans in navigating addiction and mental health challenges, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n While these tools serve as valuable adjuncts to recovery efforts, they do not replace professional treatment. Enrolling in a comprehensive treatment program tailored to veterans’ unique needs is essential for fostering lasting recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Veterans embarking on the path to addiction recovery can find solace in specialized programs like the FORTITUDE program offered by The Recovery Village. These programs address addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders, furnishing personalized support for veterans and first responders. Communicate<\/a> with a Veteran Advocate today to start your journey towards holistic healing and restoration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Healing from addiction requires acquiring strategies to handle triggers and prevent relapse. In the recovery phase, triggers are inevitable, but veterans encounter unique challenges due to their service history. Luckily, there are efficient approaches for addressing these unique veteran triggers, assisting in upholding a commitment to recovery. Understanding Veterans’ Battle with Addiction Recovery from addiction […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categories":[78],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13522","blog","type-blog","status-publish","hentry","category-veterans"],"acf":{"written_by":"","enable_medically_and_up":["Yes"],"medically_reviewed_by":293,"medically_reviewed_content":"This article was reviewed by a medical professional to guarantee the delivery of accurate and up-to- date information. View our research policy.<\/a>","up_to_date":"Last Updated<\/i> - 03\/02\/2024<\/b>","page_first_published_date":"20240302","page_last_edit_date":"20240302","highlighted_description":"If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, help is available. Speak with a Recovery Advocate by calling 561-340-7269<\/b><\/a> now.","key_takeaways":"","source":{"source_label":"View Sources","source_content":"Teeters, Jenni, et al. \u201c<\/span>Substance use disorders in military veterans: prevalence and treatment challenges<\/span><\/a>.\u201d Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, 2017. Accessed November 21, 2023.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. \u201c<\/span>PTSD and Substance Abuse in Veterans<\/span><\/a>.\u201d March 30, 2023. Accessed November 21, 2023.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nMenon, Jayakrishnan; Kandasamy, Arun. \u201c<\/span>Relapse prevention<\/span><\/a>.\u201d Indian Journal of Psychiatry, February 2018. Accessed November 22, 2023.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. \u201c<\/span>Coping with Traumatic Stress Reactions<\/span><\/a>.\u201d March 30, 2023. Accessed November 22, 2023.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nGiannitrapani, Karleen, et al. \u201c<\/span>Veteran Experiences Seeking Non-pharmacologic Approaches for Pain<\/span><\/a>.\u201d Military Medicine, 2018. Accessed November 22, 2023.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nMelemis, Steven. \u201c<\/span>Relapse Prevention and the Five Rules of Recovery.\u201d<\/span><\/a> Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, September 2015. Accessed November 22, 2023.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. \u201c<\/span>Coping With Unwanted Thoughts: RESET for Active-duty Soldiers<\/span><\/a>.\u201d June 7, 2023. Accessed November 22, 2023.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. <\/span>\u201cVA Mobile Apps.<\/span><\/a>\u201d August 25, 2022. Accessed November 22, 2023.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nNational Center for PTSD. \u201c<\/span>PTSD Coach Online.<\/span><\/a>\u201d Accessed November 22, 2023.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nVetChange. \u201c<\/span>Take Control of Your Drinking.\u201d<\/span><\/a> Accessed November 22, 2023.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nNational Center for PTSD. \u201c<\/span>Insomnia Coach.<\/span><\/a>\u201d June 11, 2020. Accessed February 21, 2024. <\/span>"},"staff_member_heading":"Authorship","staff_member":[{"staff_member_title":"Editor","select_staff_member":176},{"staff_member_title":"Medical Reviewer","select_staff_member":293}],"insurance_label":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/13522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13522"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/13522\/revisions"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/staff\/293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Unique Triggers: PTSD and Mental Health Struggles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pain-Related Triggers: Addressing Service-Connected Injuries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Common Triggers: Shared Challenges in Recovery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Strategies for Coping with Veteran-Specific Triggers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Navigating Pain-Related Triggers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Building Resilience: General Relapse Prevention Techniques<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Tools for Managing Triggers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Supplements, Not Substitutes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Explore Veteran-Centric Treatment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n