Veterans Healing Initiative formed for veterans suffering from PTSD

Sep 22 2009

The Veterans Healing Initiative (VHI) has been formed in response to the dramatic increase of Substance Abuse (SA) and co-occurring mental health disorders among U.S. Veterans. Formed by Margaret Stone and James L. Abernathy, VHI's core mission is to raise funds for veterans who need treatment for Addiction and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and help them begin to heal the war within.

"For veterans suffering from substance abuse and trauma, the war within is ferocious," said Stone. "Today's veterans, returning from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) have faced repeated tours of duty, higher exposures to combat trauma and reduced time between deployments. We know that many returning OEF and OIF veterans fall through the cracks and do not receive any help until they become part of the criminal justice system. And of the 11% or nearly 190,000 women who have served, many must contend with not only combat-related trauma, but also sexual trauma. Combined with addiction, the need for specialized treatment programs that address their unique issues becomes imperative."