Sedona AZ (October 1, 2013) – Alcohol and drug misuse can lead to serious health and relationship problems.

The Veterans Health Administration has many resources to help Veterans and their loved ones answer questions, find support, get treatment and recover.

Please read on to find information on some of these resources.

Problems with drinking or drug use may occur in response to stress, or in combination with posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, or other medical conditions.

Fortunately, there are proven methods to help Veterans recover from alcohol or drug misuse and dependence including mutual help groups and effective treatment.

A Confidential Screen Will Help

Do you or a Veteran in your family have symptoms of alcohol or drug abuse? One way of determining that is to take a brief confidential and anonymous screen.

Only you will see the results of the brief screen. None of the results are stored or sent anywhere. You can choose to print a copy of the results for your own records or to give to your physician or a mental health professional.

There are proven methods to help Veterans recover.

You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

Abuse of substances such as alcohol and drugs can lead to increased risk of injuries, accidents,or physical and mental health problems.

Although quitting is difficult, you do not have to do it alone. Follow these links to valuable information that will help.

VA SUD Program Locator: The program locator will help you find local VA Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment Programs.

Effective treatments for substance use problems are available at VA. Available treatments address all types of problems related to substance use from unhealthy use to life-threatening addictions.

The Summary of VA Treatment Programs for Substance Use Problems page provides you with information on the treatment programs the VA uses.

MakeTheConnection.net: Visit this site to view hundreds of stories from Veterans of all service eras who have addressed their substance use and overcome mental health challenges.

Alcohol screening followed by brief alcohol counseling has been very effective in helping Veterans with existing and potential drinking problems and is a national prevention priority for the VA.

Other Places to Find Help

Al-Anon/Alateen: Offers support and resources for friends and family of problem drinkers.

MedlinePlus: Provides information to help answer health questions by bringing together information from the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): The NIAAA provides information that will help you better understand the health consequences of alcohol abuse and dependence (alcoholism). The Rethinking Drinking Web site offers valuable research-based information on drinking habits and how they may affect your health, along with support for making a change.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Find fact sheets, videos, brochures and more within their publications section.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Features information on drug abuse, drug-related legislation, and more.

– See more at: http://www.va.gov/health/NewsFeatures/2013/September/VA-Support-for-Alcohol-or-Drug-Misuse.asp#sthash.Bd2WysxH.dpuf

This SedonaEye.com article written by Hans Petersen, VA staff writer.

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