‘I’m thankful that I’m still here’: Local veterans open up about substance abuse

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — Two local veterans opened up to WSAV this Veteran's Day about substance abuse, a problem that affects countless people who've served our country.

"Over the course of your military career, we put our bodies through a lot," Chairman of the Veterans Council for Chatham County Joe Higgins said. "You know, the whole point of the military and a lot of the schools is to push you to your limit and then push you past your limit to see that you can go that little bit further. But it's like a rubber band. You're stretching, and you're stretching, and you're stretching. Eventually, something's going to break."

For some, like Robert Sensing, it happens while they're still enlisted.

"Living through your day-to-day life active-duty military, it feeds into depression, which is what happened to me," he said. "Both of those things can really cause people to spiral out of control."

Sensing said that alcohol dependency and drug addiction runs rampant in the military. He told News 3 some drugs are tested for, and some aren't.

"They took me out the first night," Sensing said. "Then, the next night, they're like, they're like 'Hey we're gonna go out again, you wanna go?' I'm new, I'm 21 years old, trying to live my 21-year-old life. I was like, 'Yea, I'll go out again.' Then it happened a third night, and a fourth night."

Sensing said the stories that came from his nights out weren't worth it looking back. According to him, his alcohol abuse grew worse over the years, especially after he was discharged for medical issues.

"I didn't want to get out at all. So, my alcohol dependency massively, massively had an uptick," Sensing said.

Other veterans said that's something that's far too common.

"You lose that structure, and you lose that discipline. So, it just becomes that much easier to fall into that trap and not even realize you're doing it," Higgins said.

It's a trap that brought Sensing said brought him to the brink this past year.

"July was that instigating date for me when I nearly took my own life," Sensing said. "I left home, and I posted on Facebook. I did that whole thing, basically made a note to my friends and family. I had a weapon on me. I was in my car. I had the cops out looking for me. They were pinging my phone. I eventually met up with the police, and they brought me back home."

Sensing said that he is thankful that he's still alive.

"I'm thankful that I'm still here as I'm watching my daughter grow, and she is...Doesn't matter how bad of a day my wife and I have," he said. "Every time we look at her, it brings joy to my face, watching her learn new things in life and look around. Sorry, I'm tearing up just thinking about her...And I can't believe I almost did that to her."

Substance abuse in the military is also not contained to just veterans who recently got out.

"I personally have had experience with this," Higgins said. "I wasn't able to pull it out right away. It took me a little bit of time, and I ended up having to do it on my own because I didn't know about the resources available, and that makes it even more difficult. Eventually, I was able to kick it, and be able to move on, which is why I advocate so hard now – because I've been there, and I don't want anybody to have to suffer like I did."

Offering fellow veterans that lifeline is especially important to Higgins and Sensing because of how unforgiving they said the transition to civilian life can be.

"Once you decide to leave the military, they're kind of done with you at that point. They're getting better, they're getting better, but their transition programs are not that great," Higgins said.

They also said that the resources that are available to military members can be limited.

"You'll have one or two psychologists for an entire brigade of people, which is generally about 5,000 soldiers," Sensing said. "So, only a small fraction of the soldiers who need help speak up and go get help, but that's still a huge chunk of people. That's one or two soldiers that one or two psychologists can't effectively manage."

Eleven percent of veterans are diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder the first time they visit a medical facility run by the Department of Veteran Affairs, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"You get all these people who don't get the help they need when they're in," Sensing said. "They're getting out with drug addiction, alcohol dependency, and now they're not getting help when they're out."

It's not always easy for veterans to seek help after leaving active duty either, Sensing said.

"Yes, there are programs that help through the VA," Sensing said. "You can get help with psychologists through the VA when you separate, when you get out of the military, but again. They see a huge panel of patients. They're so overloaded, so understaffed, that the doctors just can't keep up."

That's why Higgins said the best thing veterans can do is offer a lifeline to each other because you never know who could be in desperate need.

"Buddy checks – checking up on your friends," Higgins said. "'Hey man, how's it going? Let's go out to dinner real quick,' if you haven't heard from them in a couple days. Something simple to let that person know. I've been there. They can be in that situation where they think nobody in the world cares, and it's easy to do."

They said that coming back from the edge is hard when you think no one cares, but veterans are proving that it can be done.

"I made my life 100 times harder for the next few years than it has to be," Sensing said. "Now, I have to claw my way out and rebuild form nothing. I almost lost everything. I did lose some things, and now, I'm rebuilding."