By Veterans of the wars who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to receive prescriptions for painkillers even though they are at high risk for addiction, according to a study from the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Veterans returning home from war often display symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, including pain on both the physical and emotional levels. Doctors want to bring help, and many prescribe opiate-based prescription painkillers. Studies reveal that PTSD and addiction in veterans are connected.
PTSD is a serious mental condition that can occur after experiencing life-threatening events, such as serving in combat. Symptoms can include nightmares and other sleep disturbances, problems in relationships and anger management, hypervigilance, inability to feel emotions, nervousness, and inability to function at work or school. Between 15% and 20% of those who served in the Mideast develop the disorder, which has no cure. Patients with PTSD are at a higher risk for drug and alcohol problems.
Now experts are sending out new warnings based on a recent study that suggests these veterans may have a higher likelihood of receiving prescriptions with serious addiction risks, potentially exposing these veterans to life-threatening, long-term addictions to the substances, in addition to devastating side effects.
Some veterans diagnosed with PTSD who have received prescription medications for pain have also been reported to attempt suicide, harm themselves physically, or experience an overdose of alcohol or drugs. To combat these side effects and risks, experts are suggesting more veterans experience treatments, including therapy, without prescriptions, to help with the symptoms of PTSD.
In many cases of PTSD, high levels of emotional pain and stress are noted, and experts say many doctors have believed that a prescribed painkiller like morphine or hydrocodone will bring relief, as explained in recent articles. However, for many patients, the drugs’ addictive properties only worsen the situation.
While veterans who have served in combat areas also have a higher likelihood of developing an alcohol addiction, recent reports say they have a two-fold higher chance of also being given access to powerfully addictive prescriptions pain medications.
Veterans returning from combat in Afghanistan or Iraq who show signs of PTSD are also experiencing problems with drug and alcohol abuse. They may have a four-fold higher chance of being prescribed prescription medications compared to veterans who do not show symptoms or have a diagnosis of PTSD.
Study findings are published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and involve data from the Veterans’ Affairs division. Researchers hope the information will help shape a new, more comprehensive, multi-faceted policy toward managing pain and the symptoms of PTSD for veterans.
The veterans’ situation is only one aspect of an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse in the United States. Powerful painkillers like hydrocodone, oxycodone, and other opiates, previously prescribed only for short-term pain or terminal illnesses, are now being widely prescribed for lesser conditions. Millions of people are obtaining them relatively easily through legitimate doctors, emergency medical centers, and pain clinics, but the situation is slowly changing as state and federal governments are increasingly cracking down on prescription drug abuse.
