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Substance use & Misuse
Using illegal drugs, misusing medications, or consuming excessive amounts of alcohol can impact your recovery and resilience. These are all behaviors that can complicate healing and prolong recovery from physical or psychological wounds, injuries, or illnesses. It can also harm the lives of your friends and family. While doctors often prescribe medications to aid in recovery, medications are often misused as a way to cope with pain, feelings, changed circumstances, or new or complicated medical situations. Alcohol is often misused as well for the same reasons. Prescription drug misuse and abuse is our nation’s fastest growing drug problem. In a typical month, approximately 4.5 million Americans use a prescription pain reliever for nonmedical reasons.1 Alcohol can complicate healing and should in most cases, be avoided during the recovery process. We have the educational materials and resources to help you understand, avoid, or overcome the negative effects of excessive alcohol use, illegal drug use, and misuse of over-the-counter or prescription medications to support recovery and the return to optimal health.
Substance Use and Misuse
Drinking Responsibly
Prescription Drug Use
Additional Information and Tools
[1] SAMHSA, Results from the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, NSDUH Series H-44, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 12-4713. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2012.
Clinical guidance, including recognition, management and clinical isolation guidance are generally covered by CDC: CDC Clinical Overview
Clinical management for Fleet medical personnel can be found in the NMCFHPC Fleet Mpox Medical Guidance
Clinical guidance for MTFs can be found in the DHA Mpox Guidance Update_5Sept2024
Currently, neither mpox testing nor treatment are readily available in a forward deployed operational setting. Units should identify suspected cases, isolate them, and move them for care at an MTF when operationally feasible.
Bureau of Medicine and Surgery 7700 Arlington Blvd. Ste. 5113 Falls Church, VA 22042-5113 This is an official U.S. Navy website This is a Department of Defense (DoD) Internet computer system. General Navy Medical Inquiries (to Bureau of Medicine and Surgery): usn.ncr.bumedfchva.list.bumed---pao@health.mil