Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: quehubo who wrote (126418)	12/5/2009 10:19:40 AM
From: Rambi	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 542054

In reality- while Blue's dad MAY have become an alcoholic anyway, the same as my dad and my father-in-law, both of whom were in combat in WWII, may have, a quick google seems to indicate the incidence of abuse is higher in WWII vets. There are other studies showing a correlation between PTSD and Vietnam vets. Abstract: The authors document the lifetime prevalence and etiological correlates of alcohol abuse in a sample of elderly World War II veterans. Subjects (mean age 74.2 years), residing in a veterans' long-term care facility were given the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R. A second investigator gave the Modified Combat Exposure Scale and administered a checklist of pre-war and wartime variables. The lifetime prevalence of alcohol abuse was 53%. There was no correlation between alcohol abuse and any other psychiatric diagnosis. There was a significant correlation between the severity of combat stress and subsequent alcohol abuse. Veterans with alcohol abuse also had significantly more wartime head injuries. There was also a trend for the alcoholic group to have experienced more pre-war stressors. Examination of pre-war variables and the severity of the combat stress might help to identify veterans at risk for development of alcohol abuse. journals.lww.com In 2003, an estimated 56.6% of veterans used alcohol in the past monthcompared with 50.8% of comparable nonveterans. westga.edu A new report by military researchers at the Naval Health Research Center finds that veterans back from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are increasingly “abusing alcohol after returning, perhaps to cope with traumatic memories of combat.” Alcohol abuse was also up amongst National Guard and Reserve personnel, which the report said was “concerning in light of increased reliance (on these) forces” by the Pentagon. thinkprogress.org Predisposition, past use, all these things come into play, certainly, but the extreme stress of war and the resistance in the past of the military to provide adequate assistance must have increased the probability of abuse. For instance, my father-in-law, who was shot and left for dead for hours, developed gangrene and lost a leg, came home addicted to morphine. He received no help or preparation for the consequent withdrawal when they stopped providing it, and self-medicated with alcohol, which led to years of abuse. From my own generation, smack dab in the worst fighting years of VN, there was a lot of drug use. I had a couple of friends who came back addicted to heroin, and a couple who had total breakdowns as they tried to pick up the pieces of their lives. And then there were the ones who didn't come home at all.

To: quehubo who wrote (126418)	12/5/2009 10:32:27 AM
From: epicure	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 542054

People always have a "reason" for abuse, because it we are talking about drugs, and many people are simply self medicating- and in many cases alcohol or pot or whatever, probably is as safe as the prescription drugs they would be given. I saw a study on schizophrenics recently, and it suggested that the cigarette and alcohol "problems" you see in this group is really a case of self medication- and the self medication is pretty effective. So the cigarettes and alcohol really help the person suffering. I'm not sure why we want to look down on people who are coping with real emotional pain with a drug. If they'd been to the doctor and been given something, you wouldn't be judging them (I hope). No one WANTS to be an addict - they mostly become that way because they can't stand themselves or their lives the way they currently are. If you are naturally happy, and balanced, and need no drugs- be grateful. You are lucky. You won a biological lottery, nothing more. suite101.com ncbi.nlm.nih.gov