Drug & Alcohol Addiction Among Army Veterans: Treatment & Resources

Drug and alcohol addiction continues to be a problem among U.S. Army Veterans.¹ If you’re an Army Veteran, or you know someone who is, you can benefit from learning more about the relationship between the Army and addiction.

Keep reading to find out about:

• Drug and alcohol use among Army Veterans.
• Risk factors for Army Veteran substance use disorder (SUD).
• Army Veterans and PTSD.
• Army Veteran addiction treatment options and resources.
• United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rehab for drug or alcohol addiction treatment.
• Addiction treatment options for Army Veterans.
• Starting the path to recovery.

Call American Addiction Centers (AAC) at to learn more about Veterans treatment programs, find out about using health insurance to pay for rehab, and instantly verify your insurance. You can also find Army Veterans treatment programs through our recovery.org directory.

Drug and Alcohol Use Among Army Veterans

Drug and alcohol use is a pervasive concern among both active-duty and Army Veterans.¹ Substance misuse can lead to addiction, which is diagnosed as a substance use disorder. Army alcohol addiction is by far the most common SUD among both active-duty and Army Veterans.^1,2

The following statistics illustrate the most commonly used substances, as well as the prevalence of substance use and SUD among active-duty and Army Veterans:

• A study by the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute reports that nearly a quarter of all Veterans report binge drinking (defined as 4 or more drinks per day for women or 5 or more drinks per day for men) in the past month.^2,3
• Another study found that Army and Navy personnel were more likely to report binge drinking than members of the Air Force.⁴
• The RAND study reports that 10.2% of Veterans used marijuana in the past year.³
• 2.9% of Veterans reported opioid use in the past year.³
• 5.5% of Veterans reported illicit drug use, such as cocaine, in the past year.³
• 4.9% of Veterans had a past-year alcohol use disorder (AUD), with 8% of post-9/11 Veterans having AUD.³
• 1.6% of Veterans had a past-year drug use disorder.³
• A study in the journal, Alcohol Research, showed that between 55% and 76% of Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also showed evidence of AUD.⁵

Army Veterans can experience many challenges and struggles during and after service that can impact their overall mental health and well-being, including the stress of deployment, trauma, and mental health conditions like PTSD or anxiety, reintegration challenges, and mental health stigma in the military.⁶

Risk Factors for Substance Use Disorder in the Army

The prevalence of SUD in the Army may be more widespread than among members of the general population for various reasons, including:⁷

• The widespread acceptance, reduced price, and easy availability of alcohol in military installations. 
• The idea that cocaine, marijuana, and opioids, including prescription medications as well as illicit opioids like heroin, can lessen pain or help them cope with boredom or fatigue during battle.
• The use of substances to ease interpersonal tension.
• The use of alcohol as a way to cope with the trauma and challenges associated with war.
• The use of alcohol or other substances as a way to self-medicate mental health conditions.

Army Veterans with an SUD may have an increased risk of various issues, including medical problems, mental health conditions, interpersonal problems, vocational problems, and increased rates of suicide.⁸ Mental health conditions that can be common among active-duty Army members and Veterans include depression, anxiety, and PTSD.⁹

Army Veterans and PTSD

Army service can increase a person’s risk of developing PTSD and addiction due to the nature of the work, including the chances of witnessing or suffering from trauma.⁵ Research has shown that military members and Veterans are more likely to have suffered from childhood trauma and abuse, such as sexual or physical maltreatment, than members of the general public.⁵ PTSD can also be influenced by a person’s military occupation or specialty, the politics around the war, the type of enemy faced, and where the war is fought.¹⁰

Different studies have shown different prevalence rates for PTSD in the military. Some reports indicate that PTSD prevalence is 6% among pre-deployed service members and 13% among those who are post-deployed, and between 5% and 13% among Veterans compared to 5% of civilians.⁵ According to the VA, around 7 out of every 100 Veterans will have PTSD at some point in their lives.¹⁰

If you’re not sure if you have PTSD, it’s a good idea to speak with a medical professional to discuss your symptoms and receive a diagnosis. However, it can help to understand some of the common signs and symptoms of PTSD, which include:¹¹

• Intrusive or recurring thoughts of the trauma.
• Re-experiencing the trauma, including associated physical symptoms, such as sweating or a racing heart.
• Avoidance, such as staying away from people or places associated with the trauma.
• Hyperarousal, such as being easily startled or having sleep difficulties.
• Behavioral changes, such as increased irritability or anger.
• Cognitive and mood changes, such as negative thoughts about yourself or the world, exaggerated blame toward yourself or others, feeling socially isolated, or having trouble feeling positive emotions.

Having an SUD can increase the risk of PTSD, and vice versa.⁵ When a person has both a mental health condition such as PTSD and an SUD, this is known as having a co-occurring disorder, also known as a dual diagnosis.¹²

Co-occurring PTSD and SUD can result in numerous challenges, such as increased chronic physical health problems, worsened social functioning, higher rates of suicide attempts, more legal problems, increased risk of violence, worse treatment adherence, and less improvement during treatment.⁵ For these reasons, and because each condition can influence the other, it’s advisable to seek integrated treatment that addresses both disorders at the same time.⁵ Integrated treatment is generally the preferred treatment option for people with co-occurring disorders because it can lead to an increased chance of positive outcomes.⁵

Army Veteran Addiction Treatment Options and Resources

Army Veterans who are struggling with SUDs or co-occurring disorders have various rehab options.

The VA offers a wide range of SUD treatments for Army Veterans.¹³ If the VA is unable to provide care, Army Veterans may have the option to receive treatment from a VA Community Care partner such as American Addiction Centers.¹⁴ AAC facilities are also in-network with TRICARE, the uniformed services healthcare plan.¹⁵

If you or someone you love is thinking about treatment, it may be in your best interest to discuss these concerns with your doctor, VA physician, or other medical professional to help you make the best treatment decisions. You can also contact the Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) or search for a rehab facility that specializes in Veterans’ treatment using the recovery.org directory tool.

VA Rehab for Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment

The VA is the largest integrated healthcare system in the U.S., offering medical and psychological treatment to millions of Veterans, and also provides Veterans insurance coverage for addiction treatment.¹⁶ To access this care, you should be enrolled in the VA’s healthcare plan. If you’re not yet enrolled, you can enroll online.

If you’re interested in treatment that’s covered by the VA, call AAC’s free and confidential helpline at . Our team of caring admissions navigators can help you find a treatment program covered by the VA. You can also verify your insurance online to determine your health insurance benefits.

Addiction Treatment Options for Army Veterans

Every Veteran has had unique experiences and has their own individual needs. Certain types of treatment or treatment settings may work better for different Veterans. Generally speaking, the addiction treatment process involves detox, followed by rehab and aftercare.¹⁷

Before you start treatment, you’ll receive a comprehensive assessment to determine your exact needs and the appropriate placement for you. Medical professionals will use this information, as well as placement criteria formulated by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), to help guide their treatment recommendations.¹⁸ You may enter different levels of care, such as:

• Medical detox, which can help you undergo withdrawal as comfortably and safely as possible under medical supervision.¹⁹
• Inpatient addiction treatment, where you will live at a rehab and receive around-the-clock care and support, and participate in different therapies.¹⁹
• Outpatient programs for drug and alcohol addiction, where you can continue to live at home but will attend treatment on a set schedule at a rehab.¹⁹
• Intensive outpatient programs for drug and alcohol addiction, a more supportive outpatient option that offers 9 to 20 hours of weekly treatment.¹⁹
• Partial hospitalization rehab programs, also known as high-intensity outpatient programs, offer 4 to 8 hours of daily treatment.^18,19
• Rehab aftercare, which supports your recovery and can include support groups, individual or group therapy, or sober living.¹⁹

As mentioned previously, it’s important to treat co-occurring disorders simultaneously because this can increase the chances of positive outcomes and help people recover from both conditions.⁵ 

Start Your Recovery Today

You can take back control of your life and get started with treatment today. Treatment can help people recover from SUDs and mental health conditions and live healthier lives.¹⁹

Call us at to learn more about Veterans treatment programs, find out about using health insurance to pay for rehab, and instantly verify your insurance. You can also find Army Veterans treatment programs through the recovery.org directory.