The topic of VA benefits and care for our veterans is an important one. Nobody deserves top level care more than those who have made sacrifices to keep us and our country safe. Southeast Addiction is proud to announce we will be accepting VA insurance for our addiction treatment plans in Georgia.

Prevalence of Substance Use Disorders in Veterans

Many people who lead ordinary lives may develop or—when left without aid, may succumb to a substance use disorder. Addiction truly can affect anyone regardless of their circumstances in life. For veterans, however, this is doubly so.

Veterans have braved tough circumstances to perform their duty. Maladaptive coping mechanisms are one of the primary ways in which addiction grows. There is no shortage of serving military members who struggle with a drug or alcohol problem and when they leave service, this doesn’t change.

More than 1 in 10 veterans have been diagnosed with a substance use disorder and this becomes even more prevalent when active duty members leave service. While the incidence of substance use disorders is only slightly higher than it is for civilians, a crucial detail is that the risk is much higher in the 18-25 group, and overall the susceptibility towards other comorbid conditions such as a depressive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder are much, much higher.

Comorbid Conditions for Veterans Struggling with Addiction

Veterans are susceptible to a wide variety of conditions detrimental to their health and wellbeing including but not limited to:

• PTSD
• Depressive disorder
• SUDS or Substance Use Disorders
• Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is especially important. While all of these issues are incredibly important on their own, chronic pain is an issue that can creep up on people and impact quality of life strongly. One of the biggest addiction epidemics facing our country is the widespread abuse of prescription painkillers. Opioids—both legal and illegal, both have immense abuse potential and harm.

This is due to the fact that not only do they produce highly pleasurable feelings while dulling pain. It can be easy enough to see why they would be so potentially addicting. Combine that with the fact that, according to the CDC, an estimated 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. While things are changing, many people are still prescribed powerful opioids to combat their chronic pain. This entry point is where addiction can potentially flourish.

One of the key factors to know about opioid addiction is that opioids can resolve pain issues under their effects, but they also notably weaken the body’s pain tolerance levels, thus making an individual under sustained usage more prone to dependence on opioids or similar substances.

VA Insurance for Addiction Treatment in GA

Accepting VA Healthcare will go a long way in allowing more veterans to access our addiction treatment services. Addiction is addiction, and whether it is through our IOP, PHP, or OP, we are confident that we can help veterans who are struggling with a substance use disorder.

Contact Southeast Addiction today for any questions you may have about admissions or insurance. We hope to hear from you soon.