As we all sit back and watch the various layers of the U.S. war effort unfold, it is hard enough for us to conceptually grasp the level of loss and violent despair unfolding each minute for our troops in the middle east. Even for family members of soldiers, who risk their lives daily, they may have a different perspective on the madness, but nothing can or will ever compare to the horror each individual soldier experiences.
The reason I bring this up is to shed a little light on a situation we are all facing that is certain to explode like a hidden IED, tripped by an unsuspecting soldier. Four letters we’ve all heard before but you better be ready for since they are about to change the world we live in…PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a bomb being constructed in the middle east as you read this and will be triggered to explode gradually over the next 20 years. Believe me, if you think I’m being dramatic, watch the approaching explosion and think back to this post if you survive it.
Visit http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/fslist-ptsd-overview.asp for a peek at what we will all be faced with but when you’re reading this, remember that only recently has the the U.S. Military’s powers-that-be begun to recognize the the fact that PTSD exists…that is pathetic and unacceptable. While it is wonderful that it is finally being given credibility, the resources set aside for treatment is a pittance compared to what will be needed. Ironically, each returning veteran will have a ticking PTSD IED inside each one of them that can ‘go off’ at any second. Whether an acute PTSD reaction occurs on the street, at work, at school, at church or at home, you can bet your ass that if WE ALL aren’t equipped with a basic understanding of how to deal with it, we will be suffering as a society for generations to come.
Sadly, PTSD cannot be treated like other behavioral disorders and daily we hear reports of treatment facilities failing patients and their families on a daily basis by attempting to treat PTSD along with other behaviorally impaired patients…THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE!!!! These individuals and their families need specialized treatments with professionals specifically trained to deal with PTSD. Do the math, with the numbers of returning veterans, we are in for a shit-storm if we don’t get a handle on this thing and the government has its hands full.
That is why I’ve assembled a team at TSN, who has created a program called HEROES WELCOME. I will share more about the specifics in the next few weeks but in essence, we are assembling the best PTSD experts and centers on the planet and offering treatment for both the victim and their family. As a society and a field, we have a unique opportunity to learn from the past (Viet Nam) and truly help diffuse a generational bomb. This is not a bullshit sticker on a bumper, this is a way for us all to actually support our troops and save our own society.
This is the seed and you are all aware that TSN is growing a solution so don’t pretend you haven’t been informed. If you are interested in learning more or have something to offer, contact Jed Wallace for details since he will be coordinating the effort on my behalf. I encourage you to do some serious research and soul searching – be a part of HEROES WELCOME and do your part to support the veterans that have given their lives, limbs and personalities to protect our freedom…now it is our turn!
Here at Treatment Solutions Network we have very strong ties to those who serve our communities, protecting and serving day in and day out. We are proud of these men and women and have a particular affinity for the Boston Fire Department. We were very happy when one of our friends forwarded us this video detailing the service of Boston Fire. Enjoy!
To learn more about our involvement and commitment to help those who serve us please check out our testimonials page by clicking here.
For the past fourteen years, I have been attending the Labor Assistance Professionals annual conference. This is an opportunity for many internal members and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) staff to get together to share their experience and wisdom, but most importantly, solidarity! Last week, I attended my sixteenth Conference.
For LAP background information (ex. New York City chapter was the foundation/founders of the Labor Assistance Professionals in 1991) and reference, you might want to check out their website (http://www.laborassistanceprofessionals.com)…has some nice historical information as well as a mission statement.
When I was first introduced to the New York (and later) Boston membership, I knew this was an organization I wanted to be part of, not only because their mission statement is right on, but because of the caring, concerning people who will do anything to help one of their members or their family! Recovery is such an important piece of the equation with all the “brothers and sisters” who participate yearly in this conference.
Let me share with you a personal experience and why I am so passionate about this organization. In 2001, I was sent to New York City to assist the FDNY during 9/11. The members of a certain firehouse had taken a terrible blow; losing six of their “brothers” in the attack. I spent a good deal of time discussing the horrible situation with the Fire Captain and the impact it was having on his crew. The Captain of house had already performed a needs assessment and related to me the emotional burden of the grieving families and how important it was, historically, for the firehouse to help the families of a member who were killed in line of duty. That being realized, the Captain explained if I really wanted to help their firehouse, their crew and their families, “get me a bus to bring all families to funerals”. Through my friends in Labor Assistance Professionals, I contacted the NYC Transport Workers Union and explained my challenge to Ted Mapes, the union MAP (Materials Approval Process) coordinator. Realizing that this was a time of desperate need, without any hesitation, Ted provided that firehouse with a City bus and driver to assist all the families of the fallen firefighters. Just like that!
Through our “brothers and sisters” in Labor Assistance Professionals, we have connections in just about every city and town in America. Whatever is needed (getting someone into treatment, providing transportation to and from meetings, detox centers, hospitals, etc.) …they are always there to help.
To all, I say “THANK YOU” for the opportunity to belong and rejuvenate!
Anyone who isn’t familiar with Diane Schuler at this point is either trying to avoid current events or is as oblivious as her husband. To bring everyone up to speed, Diane Schuler is the 36 year-old business executive who at 1:30 PM on July 26th 2009, drove 1.7 miles in the wrong direction on a curvy highway before slamming into an S.U.V., killing its three passengers, as well as herself, her 2-year-old daughter and her three young nieces. She had a blood-alcohol level of more than twice the legal limit and tested overwhelmingly positive for Marijuana. Her husband, Daniel Schuler, is a security guard paid to be a professional observer, however, he is publicly stating that he has never seen his wife drunk.
While this situation is beyond horrific, it has all the elements that makeup a perfect alcoholic tragedy. It has been said on the record that Diane Schuler had over 15 ounces of undigested vodka in her system, a vodka bottle in the car, a head full of marijuana and behavioral issues, and a minivan filled with kids…that alone is a recipe for disaster. Throw in a husband who is either one of the most profound enablers of all time or the denial world champion and early death is no longer a recipe, it is a certainty.
Mr. Schuler is being skewered by the media as practically an accessory to murder – that won’t ever change. He was charged with a DUI in 1995 so the thought that one alcoholic could live with another alcoholic capable of consuming the volume of Vodka Diane Schuler did before she drove with innocent children, is pretty far-fetched. Regardless, if Mr. Schuler was aware of her consumption and let her get behind the wheel of a car that would destroy countless lives, then he is indeed an accomplice. I know there are people who will read this and say: how can you say Mr. Schuler was an alcoholic based on one DUI? Let me explain something to anyone still deluding themselves with the notion that he might not be, if you are an adult who has consumed enough alcohol to impair your judgment to the point where you think driving is ok…you better hit a meeting.
The point of sharing this story with all of you is not what you might think. Sure, it is a cautionary tale about the dangers of alcoholism and the enablers that help it incubate, but this is something far more eye-opening, this is one of the purest examples of how poorly equipped people are with the knowledge necessary to recognize and alter a potentially disastrous situation. This is a story about accountability and I’m afraid that number of people that allowed this tragedy to unfold is pretty far reaching. Is her husband still fostering his own disease and chose to look the other way? Did her employer or coworkers know she had a problem and not intervene? Is there nobody in this woman’s life that who saw what she was and where she was heading? The fact is, people have a responsibility to report and they need to be educated and empowered with the tools to do so properly. This isn’t snitching, this is saving lives and more often than not, they are the lives of the innocent.
If a fraction of the money spent on imprisoning non-violent, drug and alcohol related convicts, we could establish a system of checks and balances that arms citizens with the tools necessary to report questionable behavior and prevent tragedy. Reward them for their insight and save lives. Beyond employer involvement, which is getting better, let’s introduce an anonymous reporting system that is well defined and implemented at the student level. Preemptive measures need to be taken, and quickly. If one person had stepped up and reported Mrs. Schuler’s behavior, there would be 8 fewer caskets in the ground today.
It’s time to stop thinking after the fact. I think the saying goes…”an ounce of prevention is better than fifteen ounces of undigested alcohol in a dead woman’s stomach”.
It will come as no great surprise that we at TSN have a vested interest in Healthcare Reform. Beyond our company-wide involvement in the movement of the Parity Act and successfully leveraging fair and equal treatment from insurance companies for issues of mental health and substance abuse, I personally went to Washington, D.C. to lobby congress for passage of that bill.
Needless to say, I have been watching closely as President Obama has been pushing his health care reform and my thoughts on it and his approach can be derived from his behavior at his most recent press conference. At the end of the press conference he was asked about the incident in Cambridge involving the professor and local police. While the incident itself was unfortunate from any perspective, his ‘off the cuff’ reaction may be a good indication of how he operates. He started off by saying (I am paraphrasing) something to the effect I don’t have all the facts here BUT; he then followed with his now infamous line about the Cambridge Police acting “stupidly”. I hope I speak for everyone when I say that I want anyone with access to “the button”, to stop at I don’t have all the facts and stop right there before firing off some incendiary response or reaction. To add fuel to a smoldering fire, recently in a chat with several liberal bloggers, the President openly admitted to not knowing everything in the bill he is pushing so hard for. I am starting to believe our President may be a “shoot first, ask questions later” kind of guy.
I supported Obama, in large part, based on his campaign stance, when he voiced his concerns with socialized medicine and did not agree with taxing healthcare benefits, which if you remember, was actually John McCain’s platform during the election. The fact is, I haven’t had time to thoroughly review the proposed legislation to say whether I agree or not. The sad part is – neither has our President by his own admission. President Obama says he is pushing for all the uninsured people, who he has heard horror stories from. 5 years ago I was admitted to the hospital through the ER; at the time I had a lapse in insurance coverage and was uninsured. It was determined that I needed emergency open heart surgery to replace two valves. I had the surgery and they saved my life. Maybe I was just lucky, but I believe there are others with similar stories, who we don’t hear about. Our last President slammed through legislation by using fear tactics and intimidation. What we got was the Patriot Act and what we lost were many of our Freedoms, which were provided under the Bill of Rights – put in place by our founding fathers. Now, we are faced with another major change to our country’s basic foundation, and it looks and smells like the same tactics are being used. I feel it is time we all slowed down a bit and took a hard look at what we are doing. I have friends from the UK, friends who grew up in Cuba and have been to Canada many times, I can tell you that from my conversations with them and the people of Canada, these types of socialized medicine schemes don’t end well. You ultimately end up with those who can afford it getting adequate healthcare through private systems and the majority getting substandard care through an overburdened public system.
This brings about the complete annihilation of the middle class and divides the society into haves and have not’s. I am not saying healthcare does not need reform, but I am saying that it is not something we need to rush into until we do indeed have all of the facts. If President Obama would have practiced this principal before making his comments about the Cambridge police, he wouldn’t be eating crow and doing quite as much backpedaling. I am afraid if we pass this legislation, it will not be as easy to correct the miscues as say, going on CNN and saying, “whoops my bad”. I think we all need to stop paying so much attention to Jacko and start paying attention to things that really matter. Maybe if we would have done that 8 years ago a lot of young men who died in Iraq would still be alive today.
It will come as no great surprise that we at TSN have a vested interest in Healthcare Reform. Beyond our company-wide involvement in the movement of the Parity Act and successfully leveraging fair and equal treatment from insurance companies for issues of mental health and substance abuse, I personally went to Washington, D.C. to lobby congress for passage of that bill.
Needless to say, I have been watching closely as President Obama has been pushing his health care reform and my thoughts on it and his approach can be derived from his behavior at his most recent press conference. At the end of the press conference he was asked about the incident in Cambridge involving the professor and local police. While the incident itself was unfortunate from any perspective, his ‘off the cuff’ reaction may be a good indication of how he operates. He started off by saying (I am paraphrasing) something to the effect I don’t have all the facts here BUT; he then followed with his now infamous line about the Cambridge Police acting “stupidly”. I hope I speak for everyone when I say that I want anyone with access to “the button”, to stop at I don’t have all the facts and stop right there before firing off some incendiary response or reaction. To add fuel to a smoldering fire, recently in a chat with several liberal bloggers, the President openly admitted to not knowing everything in the bill he is pushing so hard for. I am starting to believe our President may be a “shoot first, ask questions later” kind of guy.
I supported Obama, in large part, based on his campaign stance, when he voiced his concerns with socialized medicine and did not agree with taxing healthcare benefits, which if you remember, was actually John McCain’s platform during the election. The fact is, I haven’t had time to thoroughly review the proposed legislation to say whether I agree or not. The sad part is – neither has our President by his own admission. President Obama says he is pushing for all the uninsured people, who he has heard horror stories from. 5 years ago I was admitted to the hospital through the ER; at the time I had a lapse in insurance coverage and was uninsured. It was determined that I needed emergency open heart surgery to replace two valves. I had the surgery and they saved my life. Maybe I was just lucky, but I believe there are others with similar stories, who we don’t hear about. Our last President slammed through legislation by using fear tactics and intimidation. What we got was the Patriot Act and what we lost were many of our Freedoms, which were provided under the Bill of Rights – put in place by our founding fathers. Now, we are faced with another major change to our country’s basic foundation, and it looks and smells like the same tactics are being used. I feel it is time we all slowed down a bit and took a hard look at what we are doing. I have friends from the UK, friends who grew up in Cuba and have been to Canada many times, I can tell you that from my conversations with them and the people of Canada, these types of socialized medicine schemes don’t end well. You ultimately end up with those who can afford it getting adequate healthcare through private systems and the majority getting substandard care through an overburdened public system.
This brings about the complete annihilation of the middle class and divides the society into haves and have not’s. I am not saying healthcare does not need reform, but I am saying that it is not something we need to rush into until we do indeed have all of the facts. If President Obama would have practiced this principal before making his comments about the Cambridge police, he wouldn’t be eating crow and doing quite as much backpedaling. I am afraid if we pass this legislation, it will not be as easy to correct the miscues as say, going on CNN and saying, “whoops my bad”. I think we all need to stop paying so much attention to Jacko and start paying attention to things that really matter. Maybe if we would have done that 8 years ago a lot of young men who died in Iraq would still be alive today.
The U.S. army has come under attack lately because of its apparent soft attitude toward substance abusers. In a memo to USA Today by General Peter Chiarelli, the Army vice chief of staff, Chiarelli reported that hundreds of soldiers have tested positive for substance abuse without any consequences or drug rehab help being given to those soldiers.
In a world today where many young Americans are joining the armed forces and serving to protect our country, it is alarming to think of the future that waits for them. Not only do these troops face leaving their families and going into combat for our country, but now they are at an increased risk of substance abuse and also suicide.
Failure to Handle a Problem
According to Chiarelli, many of the soldiers suffering from substance abuse weren’t discharged, possibly because of the desire to keep as many combat troops active as possible. In some of these cases, soldiers have tested positive numerous times without any action being taken. These individuals weren’t even referred to the Army Substance Abuse Program to get help. Many people, after hearing the report, are saddened by the apparent attitude that it is more important to keep a soldier in active duty than to worry about getting them help for substance abuse.
A Rising Problem of Substance Abuse in the Military
The number of substance-abusing soldiers has increased by 25% in recent years. The number of suicides also has greatly increased. In 2008 there were 142 suspected suicides, and already in January of 2009 more soldiers had killed themselves than were killed in combat. These statistics are alarming, and may be due to a number of factors: more soldiers have been deployed after shorter periods in recent years, and the long war may also add to troops’ frustration.
Being a Soldier is A Tough Job
Members of our armed services today have a very difficult task. They face long, grueling drills and training, months of being away from family, and always the possibility of being deployed to combat. It might be a failed relationship back home that pushes them over the edge, or money or legal issues, or the overwhelming thought of jumping back into life when they get back that add to the stress. Another factor that some are beginning to look into is the amount of sleep that many soldiers get. Long hours, stress, uncomfortable conditions, and combat itself all deprive our soldiers of sleep. Sleep has been shown to be vital to both physical and mental health.
Help for Soldiers
The good news is that this issue has come into the public eye, and officials are committed to correcting this problem. There is the Army Substance Abuse Program, which works to provide soldiers with education, prevention, and training programs to help with substance abuse. Others are working to educate and to help soldiers cope with feelings of suicide. It is important for our country to do everything possible to provide our soldiers with the help and resources they need.
April is Alcohol Awareness Month. Every year at this time we take a few weeks to consider the affects of alcohol and alcoholism in our country. Alcohol is one substance that can affect every age group and every demographic of people in some way. There are countless organizations and facilities that work to help people overcome alcoholism, and many support groups that help people deal with their loved ones’ alcoholism.
Risks for Alcohol Abusers
Alcohol abuse is serious anytime it occurs, but there are some individuals that often put themselves or others at risk because of their drinking.
· College students often binge drink when they go out partying, often risking alcohol poisoning or alcohol related crimes on those nights.
· Those that choose to drink and drive put not only themselves at risk, but all the other motorists they get near.
· Pregnant women endanger their own child if they drink, increasing the risk of mental, behavioral, and physical disabilities of the fetus that is exposed to alcohol.
· Senior citizens that are lonely may soothe themselves with alcohol, risking heart problems and complications with medications.
· Middle age men and women may be long-time alcoholics that struggle to keep a job, and may put their kids and spouses at risk because of abuse at home.
Help for Alcoholics
There is help out there, even for the most serious alcoholics. It might not be easy for an alcoholic to admit they have a problem that they can’t handle, and sometimes it takes a loving family member to arrange for an intervention or help. Once the individual struggling with alcoholism is ready to get help, it will take time to rid their body of the dependence on alcohol. Then, counseling is important to help them get ready to return to every day life. It may also take weekly support group meetings to keep some people free from alcohol for life. But it can be done, and many people have done it. It just takes a good treatment facility and a good attitude to overcoming the addiction.
Help for Families
Those that live with alcoholics and alcohol abusers have daily struggles also. It is terrifying to be the child of an alcoholic because these kids never know if they are going to get beat up or screamed at because their parent is drunk. Parents of college students may watch their kids throw their schooling and future away by abusing alcohol. Spouses see their relationship die out as their loved one constantly turns to alcohol. Groups like Al-anon or al-ateen are great resources for these kinds of families of alcoholics.
These loved ones are the people that most often seek help for alcoholism. Many times it takes the love and knowledge of family to encourage their loved one to enter treatment. It is important to get help as soon as a problem has been identified. Asking for help is the first step to recovery.
One problem that occurs when many researchers study one topic in different ways over time is that the results can often be confusing, or contradict each other. It is hard to deny results when a study clearly lays them out. But conflicting points of view leaves the rest of us wondering who to trust and what knowledge is correct. The world of science is constantly growing and changing, and what was once believed to be truth is often disproven through later studies.
The same goes for research about substance abuse and alcoholism. Scientists are eagerly looking for new information that will aid in the treatment of addiction and why addiction happens in the first place. Other researchers spend time determining the effects of things like drugs and alcohol on the human body.
Million Women Study
A new study done in the United Kingdom on 1.2 million women concluded that women that drank at least one alcoholic beverage a day had a higher risk of certain forms of cancer than those that rarely or never drank. The Million Women Study, which lasted 7 years, followed the women’s alcohol intake and also recorded those that were diagnosed with cancer. These researchers concluded that almost 13% of cancer of the liver and rectal and breast cancer may have been caused by alcohol. They also state that the type of alcohol: beer, wine, or mixed drinks, doesn’t change the outcome when cancer is concerned. Researchers are not clear about why there may be a link between alcohol consumption and cancer, but it may have to do with estrogen levels that are raised with alcohol intake.
While this study was very large and thorough with the numbers, there are those people that are left wondering about the results. Some believe that other factors, such as what else the subjects were doing to take care of (or harm) their health should be considered. We aren’t told whether or not the women were overweight, or ate healthy foods, or exercised. What if those women that drink alcohol regularly are less likely to take care of their health in general?
With so many questions, there will likely be more research done on this topic before recommendations are made to the public. In the meantime, we might have to wait and wonder what good or harm alcohol actually does to our bodies. It is still widely thought that a glass of wine a day can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. But possibly the best advice is to do everything in moderation. If a woman can limit her alcohol consumption to a drink or less per day, experts do agree that she will be more likely to see benefits from this than binge drinking.
Sometimes we feel helpless when it comes to acknowledging our thanks to the men and women in the armed services that have served in combat to protect our country. We might even wonder what we can do to give our support to these troops, or how we can help them out. One thing the government and veterans would suggest is to help find a way to end the long-term effects of war on the minds of soldiers. One way to do this is to provide more mental health professionals to help with the issues service members deal with every day.
Mental Ailments Increasing
War veterans and those still in the service often suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, depression, and thoughts of suicide. Statistics for these problems have worsened in recent years, and there are those who are pushing for solutions to these problems.
It is estimated that one third of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have mental health problems. Many of these individuals end up turning to drugs and alcohol to silence their pain. Returning service members often have a hard time integrating back into life in America with their families, and even those with a good support system can find themselves overcome by substance abuse and suicide.
Reasons for mental health issues and the problems they bring include the stress of being in combat (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), survivor guilt, grief, and Traumatic Brain Injury. All these can drive people to despair and even alter the brain. The way to handle these issues is to get professional help.
Seeking Help
However, some worry that there is an overall attitude in the armed forces that seeking help is a bad thing, and some people are working to change that. Senator McCaskill (MO) met with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) this week in order to push for her initiative aimed at improving prevention and treatment programs for substance abuse. “The notion that getting help is somehow a black mark on your service needs to be changed,” McCaskill said.
Solutions
In order to assist in the recovery of veterans, IAVA wants to have mandatory screening by a mental health professional for every service member returning from combat. They also are asking for confidentiality for those seeking treatment. And the group wants to be approved for advanced funding by Congress, in order to plan ahead each year financially.
The army has already begun to hire additional mental health care professionals (250 more this year), and provide more education on mental health issues for soldiers. The army has also begun a 5-year collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health to look closely at causes of suicide such as combat, family stress, and long deployments.
Thank a soldier. Service men and women give their service to our country. But as a country we need to ask how we can best help our soldiers get their lives back again.
The bleak economy has had many impacts on our lives as Americans. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who has not been affected in someway by the financial situation of the last few months.
Money Trouble
Money troubles are being spread to every aspect of life. People who have invested their hard-earned money over the years are finding that in a matter of weeks, they have lost huge amounts of their savings. This has led to people not spending as much money, or investing as much, which has led to businesses struggling to stay afloat. Countless companies are laying off employees, putting these now unemployed people in a far worse financial situation. A downward cycle has begun, and for many people, the end is nowhere in sight.
Many Turn to Substance Abuse
This time of crisis is especially difficult for people suffering with substance abuse or mental illness. Aggravated by a poor outlook, people are being driven to use drugs or alcohol to ease their worries, and suicide is a very real thought for some. Suicide rates are predicted to increase two to three times in the next year because of the current economy. Other problems, such as domestic violence, depression, and child neglect, are also increasing. The more on-edge and upset people get about their financial situation, the less control they have and the more these problems seem to surface.
Treatment Trouble
Substance abuse treatment facilities have seen a big increase in the number of patients in the last few months. Usually it is not during the good days that a person tries to get sober, but rather during the really low times. Some facilities have had to accommodate upwards of 30% more patients recently.
While it is good for people to seek help and treatment, it is becoming more and more difficult for some places to give that treatment. Government funding has decreased in many cases, and unemployment or loss of benefits has made it difficult for some patients to pay their bills. Hospitals and some clinics have been forced to cut staff to keep up with the economic times; decreasing the number of patients they are able to help.
Other patients are feeling helpless because they know their employer will not hold their job for them while they go through treatment, or they know there won’t be any new jobs out there if they would quit or lose their job. This has caused some people to avoid treatment or at least avoid inpatient treatment.
Hope for the Future
It is important to remember that there is help out there for those suffering with substance abuse or mental illness. Hotlines are available for those in a desperate situation, and there are many facilities that are able to provide effective treatment for addiction and mental illness. Now is the time for families to encourage one another and work together to get needed help, because it will be much easier to weather this economic storm being sober.
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For the past fourteen years, I have been attending the Labor Assistance Professionals annual conference. This is an opportunity for many internal members and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) staff to get together to share their experience and wisdom, but most importantly, solidarity! Last week, I attended my sixteenth Conference.
Anyone who isn’t familiar with Diane Schuler at this point is either trying to avoid current events or is as oblivious as her husband. To bring everyone up to speed, Diane Schuler is the 36 year-old business executive who at 1:30 PM on July 26th 2009, drove 1.7 miles in the wrong direction on a curvy highway before slamming into an S.U.V., killing its three passengers, as well as herself, her 2-year-old daughter and her three young nieces. She had a blood-alcohol level of more than twice the legal limit and tested overwhelmingly positive for Marijuana. Her husband, Daniel Schuler, is a security guard paid to be a professional observer, however, he is publicly stating that he has never seen his wife drunk.
The U.S. army has come under attack lately because of its apparent soft attitude toward substance abusers. In a memo to USA Today by General Peter Chiarelli, the Army vice chief of staff, Chiarelli reported that hundreds of soldiers have tested positive for substance abuse without any consequences or 
One problem that occurs when many researchers study one topic in different ways over time is that the results can often be confusing, or contradict each other. It is hard to deny results when a study clearly lays them out. But conflicting points of view leaves the rest of us wondering who to trust and what knowledge is correct. The world of science is constantly growing and changing, and what was once believed to be truth is often disproven through later studies.
Sometimes we feel helpless when it comes to acknowledging our thanks to the men and women in the armed services that have served in combat to protect our country. We might even wonder what we can do to give our support to these troops, or how we can help them out. One thing the government and veterans would suggest is to help find a way to end the long-term effects of war on the minds of soldiers. One way to do this is to provide more mental health professionals to help with the issues service members deal with every day.
The bleak economy has had many impacts on our lives as Americans. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who has not been affected in someway by the financial situation of the last few months.
