Military and Veteran Suicide Rates
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-11-10/military-and-veteran-suicide-rates
According to a report from the Center for New American Security, a member of the military takes their life every 36 hours. For returned servicemen and women, the rates are even higher. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates a veteran commits suicide every 80 minutes. And these are just the reported numbers. The true figures are likely to be higher. With thousands of troops due back from Iraq by the end of the year, tthe numbers may rise even more. Join us to discuss the toll the war is taking on men and women in uniform and what can be done to help those at risk.
Guests
Barbara van Dahlen
founder and president of "Give an Hour," a non-profit organization which provides mental health care services to veterans and their families affected by the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; clinical psychologist
Dr. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie
M.D., chief medical officer, Department of Mental Health, former chief psychiatrist in the Army
Rajeev Ramchand
Center for Military Health Policy Research, RAND
Jan Kemp
National Mental Health Program Director for Suicide Prevention, Department of Veterans' Affairs
Comments
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Veterans disrupted by our current unnecessary wars expose the wasted effort.
Inadequate care by the VA and the enormous costs of doing the right thing after the fact are like a Foucault Pendulum demonstrating the rotation of our planet, that war doesn't work to advance human interests and probably never did. The Masters of War possess all the compassion of Michael Vick before his indictment. In an ideal world they would be arrested, see the error of their greedy ways, and become advocates restoring a wholeness of life to their victims.
There will always be people and dogs who enjoy lethal fighting for the sake of the experience, but they are few and far between in an unmanipulated psychological universe. As for the individual victims, so for all, the only way out is peace seeking.
hypocrisy comes to mind
devaluation
made in China American lapel pins
'patriotism' which involves USing up people
not fixing what YOU broke
lying
dishonor
BUT enough about Congress and thank you for trying to kill US for Veteran's day. When young thought the danger was Libyans, Iranian, Soviet, ... turns OUT was US
Power disconnected yesterday. Right after legal aid called back... no previous record found... but found out have another month before evicted... nice to 'rest' after being awake all week... legal aid said I should have called sooner LOLLMAO(number ALWAYS busy/ cannot get through- higher demands with cutback of funding- legal aid- unreachable and/ or unaffordable- nice 'justice')
Co op like BIG power company... missed 100 bill due so CUT off... no call... no knock... 500 to turn back on... for 30 days... called coop for mercy... said they would call back... waited.
Called them back next day- waived $300 deposit... as none on file... had letter from previous electric provider and after 16 years as member thought US deserved at least a call. Apparently their computers hacked and number on file changed... US number publicly listed... guess the 100 fee for turning on and off better than paying some one to care and call.
Yeah town motto 'hometown heroes and a run down feeling'- or something like that. And the power company wonders why their equipment gets shot. Just a sign of the times...
Next person who 'thanks' US for our service is going to be swallowing their 'pin'.
Guess the words US looking for is... fuck you America... you should be ashamed(glad Dad died before IRS and VA made US Mom cry...)
Fine US useless and unemployable and damaged veteran...
consider the naive social contract US bled for to be NULL and void and go f... but US would repeat ourselves
Diane:
GAH isn't just psychologist and psychiatrist. A lot of us are Masters level counselors. Thanks for covering this important area.
Jeff Cohen
Veterans feel excluded from society now that they are back at home. Often they are abusing alcohol or other drugs. Most of them are frustrated with the bureaucracy of the Veterans Administration and are unable to work their way through the system to get help. I would like to ask what plans exist for handling mental health issues among the thousands of veterans returning from Iraq in the next few months. Is a surge of the suicide rate expected?
Diane.. please have your guests talk about the disproportionate number of suicides by women in the military. These are disturbing statistics that some say are due to women being assaulted by their men they thought were people/colleagues they could trust, and then the women being ostracized by their military "family" if they report the assault.
Please do not give my name over the air...
It is important not to neglect the effect of the veteran with PTSD on his or her family. My former husband is a Viet Nam veteran. When he came home, he was in bad shape psychologically. After 11 years of his behavior, which I could not understand much less predict, I felt suicidal. No one talked about this "problem." It became "my problem." He had a gun, he was emotionally unstable, but he was a "war hero" to those in the family and our neighbors. To protect our 2 daughters, I had to leave. Society's denial of the effect of war on the warrior and the family is profoundly immoral and unethical.
There is an abundance of scientific literature on the usefulness of writing as a relief for anxiety and grief associated with trauma. Here is a source that provides a structured environment for the veteran and his or her family:
www.warriorwriters.org.
Thanks, Diane, for this program.
I suffer from mental illness and have attempted suicide multiple times. My brother in the military was prompted to ask me why his soldiers came home and killed themselves. It makes such perfect sense to me that I couldn't answer with words but I think the sense of isolation, feeling line no one can relate to the private struggle and pain, the real awareness that people can't relate to what's going on inside, emotionally and mentally, really drives a person to feel as though the only solution is termination.
Our society does not know how to deal with people who are emotionally and mentally in pain. The stigma comes from not being able to appreciate or wrap one's head around these concepts.
It has been known for some time now that anti-depressants actually cause an increase in suicidality. The increase in the suicide rate of the members of our military coincides with the increase in the rate of prescribing them anti-depressants.
Commanders in the field have the cure for serviceman suicide on their noses. Rubbing the face of a commander or a sergeant with chewing gum delivers enough human paternal kissing pheromone to alleviate suicidal ideation when the gum is chewed by the service person. See protocol at end of book, below.
We can send you effective doses now that have been collected to good laboratory standards and under sanitary conditions. This is medicinal chemistry using a natural product collected without processing as a home remedy.
Psychology is a bankrupt faith. Adoption of psychology as national religion by the federal government has resulted in increased rates of insanity.
A broad-spectrum medical treatment for thrill-seeking (suicidal ideation, crime, drug addiction, unwanted perversions) now exists: a human pheromone, the healthy adult male facial skin surface lipid 'kissing daddy's face' pheromone. Perhaps due to differing metabolic/neuronal pathways, alcoholism is unaffected by pheromone treatment. One dose of 150-250 mg provides permanent relief of even the most obdurate cases.
See:
http://tinyurl.com/4ys8aks
Nicholson, B. 1984; Does kissing aid human bonding by semiochemical addiction? British Journal of Dermatology 111(5):623-627.
Nicholson, B. 2011: Exocrinology The Science of Love 2nd Edition Human Pheromones in Criminology, Psychiatry, and Medicine.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051AN5XI
BBC-TV interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeD6JtqbSbY
typical anecdote
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVJbRaCVj20
I'm an academic librarian and there's a new book called Healing Suicidal Veterans: Recognizing, Supporting, and Answering Their Pleas for Help by Victor Montgomery III, MAEd., CMAC, RAS. It was highly recommended by Library Journal, the primary book review resource for librarians.
Judy Cole
Everest University
Tampa, FL
Maybe the reason we're supposedly fighting these wars is an issue.... Just why are we fighting these wars?
How many soldiers have committed suicide that have had more than 3 deployments? Also how are professionals trained to meet cultural differences? A soldiers in more than warrior. They grew up in a culture. They live in balance with those morals and the job. When there are mental health issues that add to the stress, a soldier figures they have to do what they have to do.
The root cause of military suicide is not being addressed.
Subjecting our young men and women to undeclared, illegal, ongoing, unending wars is the cause of the suicides.
Bring our young men and women home from all of these wars and the military suicide will end.
Not only was my father a victim of PTSD after Viet Nam, my brother and I also felt unsupported by the VA in trying to get my dad help. We were constantly given the run around by the VA in Salisbury, NC. Our phone calls trying to arrange services for my father were not returned most of the time. When my father finally succombed to his PTSD by drinking himself to death, the VA did not even care enough to call us. A friend who called the VA in the morning was told of his death and that friend then called my brother. When I called the VA to inform them of this horrible event, the representative listened, but took no information to give us follow up on the complaint so we could be assured no veteran's family would have to go through this again. We have yet to hear anything from them. The day of his funeral at the VA cemetary, we were basically rushed through the internment by the VA cemetary manager, who repeatedly asked if my brother couldn't come quicker instead of talking with friends of my father who had come to pay their respects. The VA should be shut down. It should be run by people who care, not those who are marking their time to get their government retirement. Or, they should allow soldiers to use their benefit at the hospital of their choice! Because right now they don't have a choice and the veterans, and their families are suffering.
Diane,
My name is Amanda. I am a licensed massage therpist in Louiville. KY. I have worked in my field for 8 years and have worked with clients with physical/ mental / emotional ailments. In Ft. Knox,KY, they have what they call a "Warrior Transition Unit." It helps veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan reintegrate back into society. Massage therapy provides a safe place where a soldier can ease back into trust and relaxation. It has physiological effects such as releasing "feel good" hormones, and many others. It is great for PTSD, Depression and various other mental/ emotional/ and physical ailments. Several other bases have successfully implemented pregrams like unto what I would like to bring to Ft. Knox's Warrior Transition Unit. I have e mailed the gentleman in charge of the Warrior Transition Unit and not gotten any response. I am afraid I lack the notariety and know how to get my idea "pitched" and off the ground. I would appreciate any help you have to offer.
Thanks,
Amanda
My concern is about why a lot of Vets returning from Viet Nam couldn't get medical help from the VA because the Viet Nam Conflict was never officially declared a War.
I was in the Navy during that time, '67-'70 and had many friends and colleges die during and after the conflict by suicide.
I was always told it was because the financial burden on the US Government would be to heavy to declare it a war.
But now most folks think that Viet Nam was a war because everyone; news, elected officials, teachers, textbooks, students, regular citizens call it the Viet Nam War.
Tonight at the Kessler theater there will be the video premiere of "Hold on to Me" a song that inspires those who are contemplating suicide to hold on to loved ones and get help to recover. The song was written by local songwriter Brice Beaird who lost his sister to suicide 25 years ago. Brice read Struck by Living - my book (Julie K Hersh) about my clinical depression and suicide attempts and was inspired to write his song. Brice and I along with local visual artists are combining our creative talents in order to benefit Mental Health America. MHA has a program "Operation Healthy Reunion" which assists veterans in reintegration into society after serving in combat. Here is their website for more information www.mhadallas.org. Here is information about the event tonight. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5bIY85SYfY Hope to see you there!
Julie K. Hersh
BTW this is at the Kessler Theater in Dallas (Oak Cliff area)
Excellent show, many thanks. May it prove useful to both veterans and their families. Good guests.
Reply to ndelaney4:
Good question. There is no rational reason for fighting these wars. These wars are undeclared, illegal and have caused the financial ruin of this country and all the other bad side affects such as suicide.....we can't afford this madness anymore
I felt the show, today did not give sufficient attention to the fact that the U.S. military deploys and re-deploys many soldiers who are already suffering from PTSD, TBI and other injuries. Example: Jared Hagemann killed himself at Ft Lewis june 28th this year to avoid a 9th deployment to Afghanistan. Jared's wife describes his mental disintegration over the preceding two years, repeated incidents holding a gun to his head and flatly stating he WOULD commit suicide, his repeated requests for psychiatric treatment; Please listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsuNhDeK48Y
When the stigma and unwritten regulations against admitting you have a problem are outlawed, AND when the officers in charge begin to listen and help soldiers get some help the suicide rates will go down.
Way too often soldiers are sent back for another 'tour' even when they are not medically cleared since there are more soldiers needed than there are soldiers to be had.
These wars were not well thought out before jumping in - "Mission Accomplished!"
Thanks W, we are all much safer now than we were in 2001.
I am shocked to hear the guest talking about what happens when you call the suicide hot line - there is no such thing as "same day appointment" - there is a waiting list you have to wait and wait and wait . . .
Then you lose your brother anyway 'cause nobody would help, listen, just tell him where he is on the waiting list.
This guest has a great talk but the reality is the waiting list.
IF the soldier lives long enough to get to the top of the waiting list and gets an appointment there is another waiting list for services of any other sort - such as disability payments to maintain a home, pay for utilities to be on, buy food.
And the general public thinks all those homeless people are there because they are lazy.
To Todd Boyle,
What a powerful video, thank you for providing it.
The best thing we can do for our soldiers is to bring them back home and support them. These problems will continue as long as we continue fighting these ridiculous wars.......
I believe in Ron Paul's stance regarding these illegal, immoral, undeclared wars. He wants to bring all of our troops home now from all of these current wars.
Why don't we as people understand this?
Now the mainstream media and politicians want to start a war in Iran......it's just more of the same BS
By the way, active military people are the #1 financial supporters of Ron Paul, who served in the air force during Viet Nam..... I wonder why?
Thank you Diane for supporting our troops and veterans! I am the author of Healing Suicidal Veterans: Recognizing, Supporting and Answering their Pleas for Help. I noticed one of your followers mentioned my book as a reference for families, friends and veterans concerned with their loved ones unraveled emotions and behaviors when returning home from the war zones. I would appreciate any mention to your listners. We have reached thousands of veterans and their families through my website: healingsuicidalveterans.com and reading my book which is available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble many other stores (Target, Walmart...) and libraries across America and Europe. Thanks again.
Vic
I would suggest looking at the psychotropic drugs themselves as they are known to cause suicidal ideation as well as suicides. Dr. Peter Breggin went before Congress several years ago and suggested this very point regarding veteran suicide. I also have a blog regarding psychotropic drugs dedicated to my son-in-law who died in 2010. www.prescriptiondrugsarekillingus.blogspot.com.