Michael Blumenfield, M.D.Sidney E. Frank Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, New York Medical College
Posted: August 2, 2010 11:36 AM
We Can't Prevent Suicides and PTSD in the Military
The latest information released by the U.S. Army reveals that last year American soldiers attempted suicide at the rate of about 5/day. There were 160 successful suicides last year and during June the rate was 1/day. Military research has reported that one in ten Iraq veterans may develop a severe case of PTSD.
As statistics such as these continue to emerge there is a continued outcry that something should be done about it. A report issued by the U.S. Army mistakenly minimized the fact that these psychological casualties are a result combat and the realities of war. The Army review concluded "simply stated, we are often more dangerous to ourselves than the enemy." It went on to say that commanders have failed to identify and monitor soldiers prone to risk taking behavior and as a result suicides among soldier have soared. This is a misguided view that somehow if we did the right thing we could prevent these events.
We haven't been able to prevent the increasing number of Americans being killed by IEDs. War is hell and soldiers get killed. We train them the best way that we know how, but inevitably soldiers die when there is a war.
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Blumenfield is half right by brining up the fact we have not stopped them and the numbers have gone up but he's missing a really important point and that is, what they have been doing has not stopped them but it is not impossible to do.
Look at the figures from the Suicide Prevention Hotline.
FOR EMBARGOED RELEASE Media Contact: SAMHSA Press Office 12:01 am Thursday, May 27, 2010 240-276-2130
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Network Answers Two Millionth Call
National Network of Local Crisis Centers Continues to Help More Callers in Emotional Distress or Suicidal Crisis through its Toll-free, 24-hour Hotline
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a network of crisis call centers located throughout the nation, has answered its two millionth call since its launch on January 1, 2005. Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Lifeline currently responds to an average of more than 1,800 calls a day or 54,000 calls per month.
read more of this here
SAMHSA Press Office
This should be one of the biggest news stories when it comes to suicide prevention and any reports on the military but it isn't. Why is it so important? Because 54,000 veterans and their families are reaching the point of calling a suicide prevention hotline each month in the first place! Two million? Yet the media ignores this? The numbers of suicides and attempted suicides have gone up since 2005 but two million reached out for help? Serious problem here folks!
It's not impossible to do but the way the military is doing it won't get them there from here. To have "Michael Blumenfield, M.D. Sidney E. Frank Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, New York Medical College" say they can't be prevented tossed in failure as an option. Considering the way the DOD has been addressing PTSD and the VA has been attempting to along with congress, it was not a hard leap for him to make but he needed to think beyond what has been failing and jump on what is possible.
They keep listening to the same experts telling them the same "solutions" when no one is asking any of these "experts" why the hell what they are suggesting has not worked before! If this guy throws his hands up and surrenders on suicide prevention, then what hope is there? We can't save them all. I know that as well as anyone else because I've failed when it mattered to my own family and my husband's nephew committed suicide. I couldn't save him but I've saved others. It is possible to at least save a hell of a lot more than we have but repeating the same mistakes cost too many their lives. Giving up will cost even more.
I am so glad that you posted this because yesterday when I saw what Blumenfeld wrote, I was also shocked. What he did was irresponsible and I hope someone calls on him to retract what he said. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteIrresponsible and incorrect! With the right help and the right attitude, everyone can be helped. And as a moral society, we should be helping even those who cannot be helped - we must put cost and effort aside and simply TRY. They are all worth it!
ReplyDeleteNaomi and Fiona, thank you very much and both of you are so right on!
ReplyDeleteWith thinking like this no disease would be "cured" and no one would even try. Imagine being a veteran on the verge of losing all hope of healing PTSD and then read this? He just tossed veterans under the bus and then hit the mental health workers trying to save their lives. I wonder if the veterans already saved would have been if no one tried? The military and the VA have a long way to go before they do this right and that is part of the problem but to come out and say it can't be done is ridiculous.
Hi Kathie,
ReplyDeleteSo good to hear your response. My mother is a Holocaust survivor and there were times over the years that she felt hopeless. If we would have given up on her, she wouldn't be with us today. Let me know if there is anything I can do further to support your efforts!
Best wishes,
Naomi
Naomi, I am not happy that your Mom had to go through any of that but so happy that you were all there for her and helping her instead of giving up on her.
ReplyDeleteI need support in several ways. One is to get the word out about this blog and my videos. Prayers are always needed to keep me going when at times it just seems to hard to even try. The other way is to see if you can make a donation on this blog with the PayPal button. Only if you can afford to make one, otherwise, prayers end up being worth more than gold.