US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan turning to anti-depressants in record numbers

Overwhelmed by the horrors and rigors of war, US troops are turning to prescription anti-depressants in record numbers. The United States is facing accusations that it is maintaining the troop strength of its overstretched forces through a quiet policy of plying soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan with prescription drugs. The numbers of US service personnel on medications such as Prozac and Zoloft in combat zones now exceeds 20,000. Critics claim a regulatory sleight of hand by service chiefs triggered the explosion in drug use. In November, 2006 the military issued a fresh order banning the use of older drugs, including lithium, anticonvulsants and antipsychotics, but omitted a new generation of psychotropic medicine. Joyce Raezer of the National Military Family Association support group told Time Magazine that army doctors have privately expressed concern that an ulterior motive lurked behind the Pentagon decision: "Boy, it's really nice to have these drugs so we can keep people deployed." Frank Ochberg, an expert in post-traumatic stress, has questioned the practice. "Are we trying to bandage up what is essentially an insufficient fighting force?" The suicide rate in the US military has doubled since 2001. Across the army as a whole at least 115 committed suicide last year and while the army claims that relationship problems was the primary contributor, a survey found that 2 in 5 victims were on anti-depressants. With post-combat stress now so common it merits a purple heart, the medical expert who oversaw the change in regulations defended the new approach which, he said, contained safeguards. "Combat presents some unique and important caveats–obviously, those who are being treated have access to firearms, and they may be under significant stress, so they need to be very carefully evaluated, and good clinical decisions need to be made," William Winkenwerder Jr said "It's my belief that is happening." Veterans of the war in Iraq claim that drugs became a substitute for psychiatric counseling. Sergeant Chris LeJeune, who was haunted by his experiences as a human decoy, returned to his home a virtual zombie. After a year, he quit the medication Zoloft in despair. "I felt like I was drugged all the time," he said. "I just started trying to fight my demons myself."