The use of opioids like heroin and fentanyl among Veterans is a growing concern that requires immediate attention. That’s because U.S Veterans experience unique challenges that put them at heightened risk of an opioid addiction or opioid use disorder (OUD).

Understanding the causes for opioid use among former military service people is the first step in helping them cope with OUD.

To do this, we need to explore the factors that contribute to opioid use among Veterans and discuss potential solutions that can help reduce the burden the addiction has on this population. By empowering Veterans through education, resources, and support, we can help them find new paths to wellness and recovery.

Causes of Opioid Abuse Among Veterans

Veterans are at risk for opioid use for a variety of reasons. First, Veterans are more likely to suffer from chronic pain than non-Veterans, and opioids are a common treatment for physical discomfort. In fact, more than half of Veterans with a service-related disability receive regular opioid prescriptions to manage their pain.

Certain physical and psychological conditions, common among Veterans, also increase the risk of opioid use. These conditions include traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and joint and muscle pain.

Moreover, Veterans frequently experience feelings of isolation and separation from their family and friends as they readjust to civilian life after deployment. This social isolation can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety, which leads to self-medication.

In some cases, they feel others do not understand their unique military experiences. Also, it may be hard to re-establish their role in their family, especially if certain changes in routines have taken place while they were away. Some former military personnel also find it difficult to re-enter the workforce after following a more regimented routine.

Effects Of Opioid Use On Veterans

Veterans who misuse opioids or become addicted to the drugs risk developing a variety of health conditions, including TBI, heart disease, and infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis

Opioid use disorder may also negatively impact mental health. For example, Veterans with OUD often experience feelings of shame and guilt, or stigmatization. These emotions and beliefs can lead to or worsen feelings of depression and anxiety, which can also lead to suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

OUD may also  impact relationships, both at work and at home. For example, many employers are tightening their policies surrounding opioid use, which could put Veterans at risk for termination. Additionally, some couples are ending their relationships due to concerns about a spouse’s refusal to find help for their disease or its underlying cause.

Solutions To Reduce Opioid Use Among Veterans

Veterans can take steps to reduce their risk of opioid use and addiction by building an awareness of their unique challenges. They can also find ways to access the mental health services and resources they need to cope with the challenges they regularly face in their daily lives and routines.

MAT Therapy

Medication for Addiction Treatment, more commonly known as MAT, is a first-line treatment model for OUD Veterans. This innovative and successful treatment approach involves the use of an opioid, such as buprenorphine–frequently mixed with naloxone–to manage drug cravings, chronic pain, and symptoms of withdrawal.

Why MAT Works

Around two million Americans were diagnosed with opioid use disorder in 2018. This population comprises those who regularly abuse heroin or prescription painkillers containing opiates.

MAT’s therapeutic efficacy has been established, and has been shown to greatly lessen the requirement for inpatient detoxification treatments for Veterans and others with OUD.

Most therapeutic requirements for patients can be met by the pharmaceutical and behavioral treatment components of MAT – individualized for each person.

Benefits of Medication Assisted Treatment for Veterans

In the long run, MAT aims to help people get their lives back on track so they can take charge of their own destiny. Research shows that this method of treatment:

  • Maximizes the chances of survival and recovery for patients
  • Intensifies treatment adherence; reducing substance abuse and criminal behavior among addicts and alcoholics at the same time
  • Improves a patient’s chances of finding and keeping a job
  • Offers better outcomes for pregnant women who are addicted to opiates
  • Lessens the possibility of a recurrence after an HIV or hepatitis C infection

Medications Used to Treat an Opioid Dependency

Opioid use disorders are treated with medications like buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone, all which are all effective against the effects of opiates. including heroin, morphine, codeine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone. The use of these MAT drugs over time is completely safe. Anytime you want to stop taking a drug, you should talk to your doctor first.

Opiate Prevention Medicines

Naloxone is used to counteract the effects of an opioid overdose and avoid fatalities. Naloxone is one of several pharmaceuticals recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as crucial to a well-functioning health care system.

OUD and physical dependence: Reviewing the difference

If you have a physical dependence on a drug, it means you have developed a tolerance and are withdrawing from a medicine. Tolerance means you need increasingly higher doses to achieve the same type of therapeutic effect.

Withdrawal means you have physical symptoms when you stop using the medicine. Therefore, a physical dependence may occur with a long-term and continual use of a prescription opioid medication. This can happen even if you take the drug as prescribed.

An addiction, on the other hand, describes both a physical dependence and a behavior that leads to negative events. It is these events that separate a basic physical dependence from an opioid use disorder (OUD).

Early indicators that you’re headed toward addiction

Be forewarned that you’re headed toward an addiction if you’re experiencing the following:

  • Taking more opioids in than the prescribed dose
  • Taking pills between prescribed dosages
  • Using opioids after a prescription runs out
  • Taking opioids that have not been directly prescribed
  • Taking opioids in a way other than that prescribed
  • Mixing other drugs or alcohol with opioids

If you have become socially withdrawn, regularly experience drug cravings, or are making opioid use a part of your daily life, you need to review your behavior with a medical professional.

Get help for OUD Now

Make the decision to treat opioid misuse as soon as possible. The earlier you take steps to manage your addiction, the sooner you’ll be able to address the underlying reason for your illness as well.