Word Celebrity Blog

A National Epidemic




















Most Americans will say that they support the soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, and to prove this they fly an American Flag on the appropriate days, and/or they tie a yellow ribbon around a tree in their yard or place a yellow ribbon magnet onto their gas guzzling car. This is how most Americans support our troops!




















When our troops come home we give them a pat on the back and a firm hadshake and forget about them and what they sacrificed for us. All too often, they quickly fade from our memories.

They often disappear into the dark shadows of loneliness, isolation, and mental anguish. Many of them become homeless. They often become afraid of any human contact.

























Many of the American news organizations as well as PTSD Combat, Congress.org, and The Huffington Post reports that: "During both of the last two years the United Stares military has lost more troops to suicide, than it has lost in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq."  This does not include all the reservists.













Civilian Soldiers’ Suicide Rate Alarming

by Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY

"National Guard soldiers who are not on active duty killed themselves this year at nearly twice the rate of 2009, marring a year when suicides among Army soldiers on active duty appear to be leveling off, new Army statistics show."

"Eighty-six non-active-duty Guard soldiers have killed themselves in the first 10 months of 2010, compared with 48 such suicides in all of 2009."















Note that firearms are, by far, the most common method for suicide (55% of all suicides are completed with a firearm). Thus it is imperative that a suicidal person not have access to a firearm.






































Hanging or suffocation is used in about one out of five suicides, which is why you can never leave an acutely suicidal person alone for a second. People who have died by hanging have used virtually every conceivable thing to hang themselves with, including shoe laces, electric cords, belts, bedsheets,etc. Again, never leave an acutely suicidal person alone.

Poisoning accounts for slightly less than one out of five suicides.

The three most common methods of suicide – firearms, hanging, and poisoning – account for 92.3% of all suicides.

On average, one suicide occurs every 17 minutes.

On average, an elderly person dies by suicide every 1 hour and 37 minutes.

On average, a young person (age 15-24) dies by suicide every 2 hours and 12 minutes.

Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death for all Americans.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people aged 15-24 year olds.
(1st = accidents, 2nd = homicide)

Suicide is the fifth leading cause of death for young people aged 5-14 year olds.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students.

Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death for males.

Suicide is the nineteenth leading cause of death for females.

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Quotes And Statistics About Military Suicides

posted by Ronnie Walker on May 2, 2011 on "Alliance of Hope for Suicide Survivors"

"The suicide rate in the U.S. Army now exceeds the rate across the United States as a whole." (U.S. Army Report, 2010)

"Young male soldiers commit suicide at twice the national average." (2008 Rand Report on The Invisible Wounds of War)

"Young female soldiers commit suicide at three times the national average." (2008 Rand Report on The Invisible Wounds of War)

"The military faces a suicide ‘crisis' said Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff." (USA Today, Jan. 29, 2010)

"From the invasion of Afghanistan until last summer, the U.S. military had lost 761 soldiers in combat there. But a higher number in the service-817-had taken their own lives in the same period." (Time Magazine, April 13, 2010)

In 2009, "347 military personnel were killed in the two wars, while at least 381 warriors took their own lives." (The New York Times, July 22, 2010)

"Airmen are killing themselves at the highest rate in 15 years." (Air Force Times, April 10, 2010)

"Army National Guard suicides increased 75 percent in 2009" according to Sen. Daniel Inouye.

"Marine Suicide rates have more than doubled since 2006." (Marine Corps Suicide Prevention Program, March 10, 2010)

"Some 6,000 Veterans commit suicide every year." (American Forces Press Service, April 23, 2010)

Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the vice chief of staff of the Army, "said that the majority of Army suicides-60 percent-are committed during a soldier's first enlistment, typically four years, and that the most dangerous year is the first." (New York Times, July 29, 2010)


Some Statistics About Military Suicides

by Aprilwitch on May 16, 2011

"I live in a military community this last week alone their were two suicides by soldiers within 10 miles of my home.  My husband was in the Marines. He separated after his last deployment. He killed himself exactly 1 year and 15 days after his last deployment. Both soldiers that died this last week were about 1 year from their last deployment as well.  It's so difficult to see it."


An average of 18 American veterans commit suicide EACH DAY.  There are from 30,000 to 32,000 deaths in the United States each year from suicide as well.


Attempted Suicides

There are approximately 750,000 suicide attempts each year.

An estimated 5 million living Americans have attempted suicide.

More females attempt suicide than males. (3 female attempts for each male attempt.)

















Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (also known as post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity, overwhelming the individual's ability to cope. As an effect of psychological trauma, PTSD is less frequent and more enduring than the more commonly seen acute stress response.

Diagnostic symptoms for PTSD include re-experiencing the original trauma(s) through flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, and increased arousal – such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, anger, and hypervigilance. Formal diagnostic criteria (both DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10) require that the symptoms last more than one month and cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

There are some Officers in the service, doctors in the veteran's hospitals and members in the U.S. Senate and Congress who do not think PTSD exists, or if it does exists, all the veteran has to do is tough it out.

If you talk to any veteran who has seen a man's head explode when he has shot him, or watched his buddy's body parts fly past him after an explosion. or heard the screams and moaning of the dying -  they will tell you about the nightmares and the times he wakes up shouting, or how he is afraid to fall asleep  Ask him why he almost jumps out of his skin at the slightest unexpected noise.  Tell him or her that PSTD isn't real, if you have the courage to sy it to his face.

The majority of those who say that PTSD isn't real, haven't fought anything tougher than a copy-machine.

Our servicemen and women did their fighting FOR YOU AND ME.  Now that they have come home, it is for you and me, the everyday citizens that they fought for, to stand up and fight for them.

For the sake of OUR VETERANS, it is time that we the people stood up to all of those crazy politicians in Washington DC!   If you think my use of the word "crazy" is an exaggeration, read the following.

*****

Manic-Depressive Personality Disorder

Mania Symptoms

A manic phase may last from days to months and is marked by elevated mood and poor impulse control. An individual might exhibit:

    * increased energy
    * unusual talkativeness
    * hyperactivity
    * racing thoughts
    * easy distractibility
    * irritability
    * little need for sleep
    * inflated self-esteem
    * grandiose thoughts about one’s abilities

One of the most dangerous symptoms of mania is the practice of reckless behaviors that a person would not otherwise engage in. These recless behaviors include:

    * unprotected sexual encounters
    * binge drinking or drug use
    * spending sprees
    * foolish business investments
    * making rash decisions that put themselves or others in harm’s way.

Depression Symptoms

A depression phase is characterized by:

    * sadness
    * uncontrollable crying
    * feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness
    * excessive guilt
    * fatigue or listlessness
    * anxiety
    * sleep disturbances (either oversleeping or inability to sleep)
    * eating disturbances (either eating too much or too little)
    * loss of interest or enjoyment in activities one typically enjoys
    * withdrawal from friends and family



















Senator Preston S. Brooks beat Massachusetts senator Charles Sumner with a cane.


I don't know about you, but I think that many of those symptoms are a good description of the actions of many of our Senators and Congressmen.





















It is up to US, YOU AND ME to support our veterans, and possibly save some of their lives.

When a veteran makes and appointment for help with his or her PTSD, it is usually for an appointment that is more than a year later!  The military's own records indicate that in the majority of the cases, when a veteran commits suicide, it is usually within the first year after his or her discharge.

We need to help the veterans to gain the top-notch, mental health care that they have earned and deserve.  It might be a good idea to give them the "gold-card" insurance that the politicians in Washington DC have: at least the veterans will have earned it.


























Crisis Assistance

Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.  Trained consultants are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and can be contacted by dialing 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or by visiting their website athttp://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Information about Military OneSource is located at http://www.militaryonesource.comor by dialing the toll-free number 1-800-342-9647for those residing in the continental United States.  Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource website for dialing instructions for their specific location.

Information about the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program is located at http://www.army.mil/csf/.

The Defense Center for Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020, via electronic mail at Resources@DCoEOutreach.org and at http://www.dcoe.health.mil .

The website for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is http://www.afsp.org/, and the Suicide Prevention Resource Council site is found at http://www.sprc.org/index.asp .

The website for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is http://www.TAPS.org, and they can be reached at 1-800-959-TAPS (8277).


























Cross-Country Walk

"Mr. Ron Zaleski walks along Arkansas route 22 heading west Wednesday near Lavaca.  Mr. Zaleski is walking barefoot from Boston to Los Angeles wearing a sign and seeking a million signatures on a three-point program that would require mandatory counseling during Basic Training, a mandatory civilian re-entry transition program and to provide for a Self-directed Veterans Helping Other Veterans program."

*****

Suicide Prevention Workers See Spike In Calls

Oregon Partnership Reports
Five Suicide Rescues In Two Hours

PORTLAND, Ore. — Workers with Oregon Partnership are calling on the public to get educated on the warning signs of suicide following an increase in the need for suicide rescues.

A suicide rescue is when crisis line workers have to intervene in a suicide attempt by sending police to the person’s house, said Leslie Storm, Crisis Line Supervisor.

Last Wednesday, Storm said they had five suicide rescues in a two-hour period; an amount she calls unprecedented.

“We’ve never done five in one evening. I’ve been here four years, we don’t do five a week generally so this is very alarming to us,” Storm said.

Oregon Partnership is a non-profit organization that provides drug and alcohol awareness, drug prevention programs and a 24-hour crisis lines for suicide intervention. The organization also operates a crisis line for military members and their families, as well as a treatment referral line.


























McCain Blocks Suicide Prevention Bill

Rep. Holt: Sen. McCain Objected 
To My Military Suicide Prevention Bill

by Amanda Terkel at Huffington Post Reporting

WASHINGTON — In 2008, a young sergeant named Coleman S. Bean took his life. After completing his first tour of duty in Iraq, he had come home and been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Nevertheless, he was deployed to Iraq a second time. Bean had sought treatment for PTSD but as a member of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), he found fewer resources available to him than to veterans and active-duty members.In April, Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) introduced legislation named after the late soldier meant to provide more resources for suicide prevention to Reserve members. The House in May incorporated it into the National Defense Authorization Act for 2011, but it was stripped from the final version, and Holt is pointing the finger at the lead Republican negotiator on the Senate legislation, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)."

“Twice now, the Senate has stripped this legislation from our defense bill,” Holt told The Huffington Post Tuesday. "

“It’s hard to understand why. I know for a fact, because he told me, that Sen. McCain doesn’t support it. Whether he’s the only one, I don’t know. But there was no effort to try to improve the language or negotiate changes; it was just rejected, and I think that is not only bad policy, but it’s cruel. It’s cruel to the families that are struggling with catastrophic mental health problems.”

“He [McCain] said having these counselors check in with the Reservists every few months this way overreaching,” continued Holt, relaying a phone conversation he had had with the senator. “I asked him in what sense it was overreaching. Surely he didn’t think there wasn’t a problem, did he? I must say I don’t understand it.”

"I ask veterans all the time why they vote for him or support him. They say he’s a Vietnam Vet, but they can’t say what he’s done for any Vietnam vet. They say he’s was a POW but they can’t say what he did for other POW’s like the ones from the Gulf War when they tried to sue Iraq for what Saddam did to them and he went against it. They hear the words come out of his mouth saying he cares and that is all they need to know. The real issue is they are suffering for the support they give to men like him. They never bother to look up his voting record."

"So now we have troops committing suicide more and more every year along with veterans killing themselves yet McCain doesn’t care just like every other bill he has either tried to stop or voted against."

"These lives matter to us but they don’t matter to him. The numbers coming into suicide prevention hotlines reflect how serious this has been but this one story on 5 rescues in one night out of Oregon Partnership should have everyone in congress running around like the House is falling down to get this done but McCain leads the way on running away from the veterans he loves to suck the life out of for their votes. How this vampire keeps getting elected only proves he’s a good liar and veterans hate to think they’ve been betrayed by one of their own."

UPDATE on this

"Lawrence O’Donnell, The Last Word on MSNBC talked to Congressman Holt about this bill. Holt said that McCain called it “overreach” and said that “Maybe you need this in New Jersey but we don’t need this in Arizona.” "



















First - I am sure that John McCain was and is a genuine hero for his courage and actions during the Viet Nam War.  He has every right to be proud of that. No one can or should try to take that away from him.

Secondly - I am ashamed of Senator John McCain for some of his actions and inactions as a senator. I am especially concerned by his neglect and sometimes opposition in helping American military veterans, especially after they were largely responsible for his re-election as senator.

There are many other things that he has done and some he has not done, in which I am in strong opposition.





















The Houston Chronicle wrote "We're wholly efficient and good at making warriors like Clay but wholly impotent at making them civilians... at the end of the day it's the elected officials' responsibility, the ones who send us to war, to find a way to send us back to peace."


For too long, suicide has been the "dirty little secret" in America.  It's time for "we the people" to speak out and be brave. We need to stand up to those who would throw away our veterans. 















The United States Senate.


They can't kill us, no matter how much they would like to.


















U. S. House of Representatives.


Maybe it is time for another "Vetran's March" on Washington DC.