Military service is uniquely traumatic in ways that often heighten the risk of substance use and related mental health issues. If you are a veteran, the ripple effects of multiple deployments, the pain of losing friends, and the challenges of reintegrating into society may weigh heavily on you for years. However, help is available for you to rebuild your life.
Prevalence and Patterns
Unique aspects of military life increase the likelihood of drug and alcohol abuse in service members. Tackling these challenges includes acknowledging and accepting these factors.
While official U.S. military policy prohibits on-duty substance use, binge drinking and drug use may be socially acceptable in off-duty settings. In the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 14% of all U.S. veterans reported having at least one substance use disorder in the previous year.
Trauma and related mental health disorders often overlap in military veterans. PTSD is virtually synonymous with military service, while anxiety and depression may be other parts of the picture. Reintegration challenges, chronic pain, injury and, sleep issues also contribute to the risk of substance misuse in the veteran population.
Unique Challenges Faced by Veterans
Specific service‑related stressors set the stage for mental health and substance use struggles.
- Combat exposure or trauma: Witnessing or experiencing life‑threatening events, injuries, loss of comrades, or moral injury can leave deep psychological wounds. Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs does not improve the situation.
- Transition to civilian life: Leaving the structure, identity, purpose, and camaraderie of service can create a void that you desperately want to fill.
- Chronic pain and physical injury: Service‑connected injuries and pain often result in prescription opioids or other substances with a high potential for misuse.
- Sleep disruption, TBI, and co‑morbid conditions: Traumatic brain injury, disrupted sleep, and other physical or neurological issues may increase your vulnerability to substance use as a coping mechanism.
- Cultural stigma: Military training instills a mindset of refusing to show vulnerability, making it seem impossible to reach out or admit you’re struggling.
Why Many Veterans Don’t Ask for Help
Many barriers can stand between you and the compassionate care you deserve.
- Long-held beliefs: Many veterans believe the self-discipline they developed in the service should be enough to carry them through. Asking for help may feel like a repudiation of those values.
- Co‑occurring disorders mask each other: PTSD, depression, anxiety, injuries and pain can all overlap with substance use. Drugs and alcohol mute overt symptoms while allowing you to ignore these disorders’ root causes.
- Access and transition issues: Your service entitles you to receive benefits and care from the VA – but unfortunately, that system is notoriously complex and bureaucratic. Some veterans fall through the cracks in transitioning from active duty to post‑service life.
- Shame, guilt, and moral injury: Some veterans carry guilt or shame related to service experiences or decisions made under duress. Those feelings can drive substance use to numb or escape emotional pain.
You Served. Now Let Us Serve You.
Military veterans have enormous reserves of strength, discipline, sacrifice, and resilience. Our job is to help you channel those qualities into a sustainable recovery and a purpose‑driven life.
- Men‑only environment: We’ve created a setting where vulnerability doesn’t conflict with masculinity, instead becoming a source of growth and connection.
- Customized 90‑day strategic program: Our structure creates safety without the sterile feeling of large institutional settings.
- Integrative wellness: Veterans with service‑related pain, injury, or trauma deserve space and time to address the full spectrum of wellness.
- Brotherhood and accountability: Participants support one another, share stories of service and recovery, hold each other accountable, and build a community grounded in authenticity.
- Tools for intrinsic motivation: We’ll help you reconnect with the purpose that inspired you to serve our country, which should ultimately motivate you to prioritize your recovery.
- Trauma‑informed, veteran‑aware care: While our program isn’t exclusively for veterans, we understand the nuances of service‑related trauma, transitional stress, and the culture of military life.
If you’re a veteran carrying the weight of your service, we provide a place where you can put down your burden. Legacy Texas invites you into our community of men who are writing their next chapters together. Reach out to learn how to create a reputation you’ll proudly uphold.