Military veterans who faced drug and alcohol problems and found a different way to live their lives will be telling their stories on February 16 in Gurnee during a free presentation open to the public and entitled, "Veterans in Recovery."

The program will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Warren-Newport Public Library, 224 N. O'Plaine Road, in Gurnee. It is sponsored by the Lake-McHenry Veterans and Family Services program at the Lake County Health Department. The grant-funded Veterans and Family Services program provides substance abuse prevention and treatment for veterans and counseling support for their families.

"Those who serve in the military can be vulnerable to relying upon the use of alcohol or other mood altering substances as a way of dealing with the stresses of a lifestyle that can take them away from the comfort and security of their homes, families and friends.  While in military service they may inadvertently begin to increase their dependence upon alcohol or other substances which can ultimately result in negative consequences that last far beyond active duty," said Steve Ruohomaki, Clinical Supervisor/Senior Therapist with Lake-McHenry Veterans and Family Services.  

"Dependence on alcohol and other substances, for some, can require proper treatment and on-going support so we are fortunate to have veterans willing to step forward and share how they successfully addressed their issues," he added.

In Lake County there are approximately 40,000 veterans and of those veterans, 20 to 25 percent struggle with issues related to their mental health and well-being. For more information about the Lake-McHenry Veterans and Family Services program, visit: http://lmvfs.org/.