Post traumatic stress, suicidal soldiers and the nightmare

Post traumatic stress, suicidal soldiers and the nightmare: A Memorial Day wake up call
May 29, 2:39 PM

Linda Mastrangelo

SF Dream Research Examiner
Monday, May 25th, 2009 was Memorial Day. A holiday when we honor the men and women of the military who served this country with courage, grace and fortitude by visiting local and national monuments, personal gravesites or simply by giving our prayers and tears in silent reverence to those we lost. There are those who fought directly in the trenches and then there are the lesser known soldiers who battled internal enemies of the psyche and lost. I am talking about the stunning rise of suicides and suicide attempts among our enlisted men and women.

In 2008, there were 2100 suicide attempts equaling about 5 suicides per day: A number that has dramatically increased before the Iraqi war at 350 attempts in the year 2002. What’s even more alarming is that in 2008 more soldiers died from taking their own lives than from dying in the battlefield. This alarming statistic has prompted Senator. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, to introduce legislation to improve the military's programs for suicide prevention. The Army's 101st Airborne Division will be holding a three day "suicide stand-down training event" at Fort Campbell this week: The second one being held this year, especially in lieu of a U.S. soldier in Iraq who was recently charged with killing five of his fellow troops at a mental health clinic earlier this month.
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Post traumatic stress, suicidal soldiers and the nightmare