In an earlier blog entry, I referenced an article about the reported increase in drug abuse amongst military members. In today's link, you'll find a report of the increase in the incidence of suicides in military personnel.
- To what does the military attribute the increase in military suicides?
- Are all suicides occuring in battlefield assignments?
- What are some of the many steps the military is taking to respond to the problem?
- How might military culture contribute to the problem of suicidal soldiers?
- How could the human services worker help this population?
Army sees sharp rise in suicide rateKeep up the studies, we need you in this field more now than ever.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-army-suicides30-2009jan30,0,6065061.story
-Jeff
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6 comments:
This rate of 20.2%of army soldiers committing suicide is quiet an increase compared to last year's 16.8 rate. I agree that by a soldier repeating a combat deployment would play a big part on why some of these men commited successful suicides. First of all I did not read anything mentioned about if these men were receiving Mental Health Services, even so there is no guarantee that suicide would be prevented. In my opinion as we learned in class these men suffered from Posttramatic Stress Disorder) (PTSD), probaby
experiencing,flashbacks and nightmares. I believe this is high level of crisis, being a psychological injury, all soldiers returning home from war, especially if they are the midst of violence, they should be given an accessment or evaluation and possibly be referred to Mental Health Services or a Veterans Hospital. It would be a great if the Virtual Reality therapy could be applied to these men, with the expectation to reduce suicide amongst our soliers or war
The first time I responded to this article, I displayed my strong disappointment in the last political faction whose believes and behavior was in complete conflict with my believes. The facts that these young people were not able to find work, so they joined the military in order (A) support their families, (B) have a way to go to school in order to gain a profession and get ahead, and (C) thought they would see the world.
The fact is our general population that is serving in the military has never had to face crisis at the level of war. Few have had to hunt to feed their family. Killing was part of TV, movies and video games where one just hits “rerun” and the actors/charters were ALIVE again. Many could not conceive the scope of work detailed to work a war. We are a softer human population inside and out and we teach killing is wrong. To witness killing or think about the possibilities of having to kill and see the results are not within the majority of our abilities to manage. Conditions of ware mandate that the person change to be able to kill on demand, what are the alternatives? That would to be killed. Can a person change to kill at will after learning contrary all their life? To me this is the definition of crisis.
My nephew was part in the front lines at the beginning of the war. His group flew the predator aircraft that was the forward eyes for the war. They found the convoy that was lead into the enemy path in Iraq, he has never got over what he witness. The mutilation that the group had done to all of them (except the girl they retrieved from the hospital) was beyond he ability to adjust to. He went to a private recovery center after he was discharged, but he has never been the same. He would go weeks without talking to others except a hello – good-bye.
Do I feel empathy about the suicide conditions? Without a doubt, but I also feel angered that the government was not on top of the expected crisis that could be easy predicted coming from a kinder population.
I'm married to a serviceman so I know how much pressure and sacrifice are imposed upon military members and their family. There are family support services, such as couseling, are available to them. My guess is that many service members are reluctant to utilize some of these family support services. As soldiers, these men do not want to be categorized as weak, so they withhold from seeking assistance such as psychological help.
THis article definetely made me reflect on why the soldiers might be killing themselves more now. It kind of made sense because now the troops that served president bush probably know by now that they were fighting a lost cause. THat would make me pissed. I personally have a friend that did three tours to Iraq and he seems fine . He showed me extremely graphic picture of the people he had killed, and what kind of weapons they found on them. JUst looking at brains made me feel uncomfortable instantly . I think that it takes a certain person to be a killer. My buddy was ruthless and I think that he didn't really ask to many questions for his own good. He also told me that they used to distribute different drugs like amphetemeins and pain killers to him to keep him ok. this could most likely start a predisposition to drugs and could be detrimental. I have massive respect for soldiers and I would never want to make them think that I don't support them. I do think though that those army commercials suck alot of the wrong people into the army. Like I said the soldier I knew used to eat jerky in pools of blood, and I think that you can't be compassionate when it comes to war.
This increase in suicide in Army soldier's is not surprising to me. People in the military are put under immense amounts of stress that most civilians cannot even imagine. Those who are in the service are mostly young. These young men and women go to combat not once in four years, but usually two and three times. The horrors they endure are hideous. They come back with mental illnesses like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Severe Depression and Paranoid Schizophrenia. How does the military deal with such issues? They send them to psychologists AFTER they had done something to themselves or others. They do not get the proper help on their way home from war or soon after they are back, the soldiers get "debriefed" about what they can and cannot tell their family and friends. The military does provide help, but at a cost. Soldiers can go and seek counseling on base, but they do not have the privacy that a civilian would, their command is given a report on the soldiers mental health and can end up hurting the soldiers career. So who would want to seek help, even if they needed it? In some scenarios, the soldier come home and acts like they are still overseas fighting a war. They are very maladaptive. They cannot conform to a way of life. Many have flashbacks and their wives wake up to their husband on top them choking and neither have a full understanding of what is going on. Therapy from the time they leave war and for monthds after might help some oft he soldiers with their problems, but only if they get the privacy that a civilian gets. Fear of their problems getting to their command only causes the patient to be dishonest to save their career. I hope since we have so many soldiers coming home with obvious issues that the military try's a different way of "debriefing". Suicide and other violent crimes can be prevented, their is always clues if some one takes the time to see them
The article mentions that suicides are occurring with soldiers who have deployed and others who have never deployed. The soldiers who were deployed must have had some type of post traumatic stress disorder, they might still have imagined being in the battle scene and could not take it anymore. The constant flashbacks of the background they were in was slowly killing them within. Once overseas there is another thing: for one they are in a land which is constantly against them, and the use of drugs and alcohol pay part at this setting. Having to see people that they are friends with be killed brings them fear yet its their job. But not all suicides are occurring in the battlefield some others are happening at home with soldiers that were never deployed. the people that are home are affected in a totally different way i believe. These men are to be fit and complete all expectations. There are very high expectations that they have to complete and if that is not done they are put down. i think that in this institution these men are being put down; this resulting in loss of self-esteem and eventually ending in suicide. the military is taking action towards the suicide rates and those who seem like they might have some kind of suicide thoughts. But i think this program should be directed to all the people in the military. A detox should be done annually of quarterly to examine them all. Suicide can happen to all whether they have thoughts of it now or later and us as human services workers should be able to support our troops with the help needed.
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