Veterans dealing post traumatic stress are often prescribed painkillers to deal with the lingering effects of war, and now a new study shows this group is more likely to use these powerful meds in risky ways.
Study reveals alarming news
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to have “adverse clinical outcomes” like overdoses and self-inflicted injuries. This study adds to previous knowledge about the medical problems soldiers face.
While the Department of Veterans Affairs has tried to lower the amount of opioid painkillers prescribed to vets, the message hasn’t reached enough doctors.
“There is often a big gulf between policies and practice,” said Dr. Karen Seal, the director of an integrated care clinic at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center who was the lead investigator on the study.
“That is where the work needs to be done, in implementing policies and guidelines that are already there.”
Alternative options for veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs would like doctors to explore other possible alternatives like acupuncture, physical therapy, exercise and relaxation techniques to treat post traumatic stress and depression.
“Patient distress can drive potentially inappropriate opioid therapy, perhaps because physicians do not know how else to handle these challenging patients,” the study said.
Dr. Seal believes more veterans are open to alternative therapies and would at least give them a try. She doesn’t believe most veterans want to depend on medication, but some feel it’s the only answer. If doctors offered other options, the dependency on these strong medications could decrease, Seal said, but it would take a massive effort on the part of doctors and veterans alike.
“They know people who have had problems,” she said. “They don’t want to get hooked on narcotics. So there is great openness to treating pain with therapies other than opiates.”
