I’ve written several times before on the effects of and links between post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. The staggering number of soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan having suffered a traumatic brain injury and/or post-traumatic stress disorder has sparked concern over our troops’ safety and mental health.
Although it seems we’ve taken large steps in attempting to prevent and treat traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder in our veterans, a new report proves otherwise. I saw a piece on Good Morning America this morning stating that veterans returning home from service were recruited to be part of a government test for the anti-smoking drug Chantix.
Chantix has been linked to serious side effects, including suicide and neuropsychiatric behavior. Doctors administering the drug to the veterans waited over three months before disclosing the possible side effects to the veterans, and in one case, caused former US Army sniper James Elliott of Washington, DC to become suicidal.
Though we’ve taken some large steps in caring for our veterans, this is a huge problem that needs to be addressed immediately.