Our soldiers and veterans are being dangerously over- medicated, and it is killing them.
Prescriptions of four potent opiates to veterans have more than tripled since 9/11, contributing to drug abuse, addiction, and suicide.
(22 veteran suicides a day is the current statistic)
In Durham, NC. alone, the amount of opiate prescriptions for soldiers is staggering. 107.2 prescriptions per 100 patients. That’s 578,099 soldiers and 619,565 prescriptions!
Mix these opioid pain killers with the antidepressants and sleep aids many of our soldiers are prescribed, and you have a lethal cocktail.
There has to be a better way to help our soldiers than throwing drugs at them.
The VA guidelines suggest:
“…consider interventions such as relaxation and breathing techniques. These can be used to address specific symptoms such as sleep, pain, hyper arousal, and anger.”
“CAM (complementary alternative medicine) approaches may be considered as adjunctive approaches to address comorbid conditions. (Eg acupuncture for pain)”
This is our focus. Providing drug free alternatives to help veterans cope with insomnia, chronic pain, and PTSD.