Charitable Service Trust grants focus on PTSD in returning war veterans.

Thousands of veterans returning home from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan carry the horrors of war with them in the form of nightmares, flashbacks, erratic moods swings and hyper-vigilance. Many times these veterans turn to drugs and alcohol abuse for relief, only to suffer more, as do their families.

According to a Department of Veterans Affairs study, nearly 33 percent of returning war veterans suffer from a mental health problem, most commonly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some experts say the numbers are much higher because many cases go unreported.

The problem has become so severe that every returning veteran is assessed for possible PTSD or other mental health issues. At VA medical centers, each patient is asked questions about mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

Those who seek help are sometimes unable to get into crowded VA treatment programs. As a result, this new generation of veterans is dealing with the disabling effects of PTSD by turning to a self-medicated treatment of substance abuse that does more harm than good.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University in New York used a $20,000 grant from the DAV Charitable Service Trust to host a conference on March 8 to look at the treatment and programs provided to work with veterans on the federal, state and local levels to stem the potential catastrophic effects of PTSD.

"The conference brought together the nation's leading minds from every field of endeavor related to substance abuse and treatment," said Charitable Service Trust Chairman Richard E. Marbes. "It was an opportunity to gauge the future needs of these disabled veterans."

A panel discussion of "Wounds of War: Combat, Substance Abuse and Trauma" featured experts in the fields of behavioral health care and veterans.

"The goal was to raise awareness about the relationship between substance abuse, spark new research, shape public policy and provide continuing education for substance abuse professionals," said Marbes.

The Charitable Service Trust also awarded a $4,500 grant to the VA Black Hills Healthcare Systems of South Dakota to support its Substance Abuse/ PTSD Program that assists women veterans and the female family members of male veterans with PTSD.

The program operates two annual retreats to help clients learn about the psychological, physical, social and spiritual issues of PTSD and relationships.

The retreats allow participants to examine problem areas in their lives and help them make healthy changes and choices. Since 1994, the 21 retreats have accommodated more than 500 women.

"These retreats provide a unique opportunity for women veterans and female family members of veterans to learn more about the effects of war trauma," said Marbes. "They learn how to cope with the devastating effects PTSD can have on their lives."

"As more and more veterans return from this war, they are suffering from the horrors of combat," said National Adjutant Arthur H. Wilson. "We're experiencing the first stages of a wave of these cases. The Charitable Service Trust is one of the outstanding tools the DAV has to help make the VA health care system work and to help plug any holes in service."