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By Charlene Rubush, May 20, 2010 10:44 pm

It seems we don’t hear much about the Persian Gulf War veterans anymore. But today I came across an article by Matthew Tull, PhD, on About.com. which shares some facts about them. Some of the highlights are:

• Although the Persian Gulf War was brief, it’s impact was no less traumatic than other wars, and many veterans of this war developed substance use problems as a result of struggling with PTSD symptoms.
• Studies examining the mental health of Persian Gulf War veterans have found that rates of PTSD stemming from this war range anywhere from about 9% to approximately 24%.
• These rates are fairly consistent with the rates of PTSD found among Vietnam veterans and Iraq War veterans. Continue reading 'Persian Gulf War Veterans PTSD Rates Are Similar To Vietnam and Iraq Combat Vets'»

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By Charlene Rubush, February 11, 2010 3:33 pm

In another (alarming) article by Gregg Zoroya (USA Today) he notes that alcohol abuse is weighing heavy on the Army. In fact, there are “soaring numbers” of soldiers seeking alcohol treatment.

The Army reports they need at least 300 more counselors to meet the demand, cut wait times and offer evening and weekend services.

As of last year, 9, 199 soldiers enrolled in treatment after being diagnosed with alcohol problems. That is a 56 percent increase since 2003, when the Iraq war started!

Les McFarling, director of the Army Substance Abuse Program, states” Alcohol remains a much larger problem than drug abuse,” making up 85 percent of the Army substance-abuse caseload.  He also says that many soldiers are referred to the program, after being cited by police for drunken driving. (My note: Alcohol IS a drug, albeit a legal one). Continue reading 'Army Says Alcohol is Self-Medicating Drug of Choice for Today’s Combat Vets'»