Rise in Suicides Plagues the U.S. Military not as Battling as you think

Some of the veterans in this great report by Jim Dao of the New York Times came from Wounded Times. I had given up on helping reporters since it became clear they were just looking for an easy way of writing it. Jim is different. I've read enough of his article enough to know that if I helped him, he would do these families justice. I am glad I was right. He did an outstanding job.

THE HARD ROAD BACK
Baffling Rise in Suicides Plagues the U.S. Military
New York Times
By JAMES DAO and ANDREW W. LEHREN
Published: May 15, 2013

After Specialist Freddy Hook, a medic with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, killed himself in 2010, the trail of possible causes seemed long.

He had used illegal drugs: Was it the demons of addiction? His rocky relationship with his fiancée? A wrenching deployment to earthquake-ravaged Haiti or the prospect of an impending tour in Afghanistan?

As with most of suicides plaguing the military today, no one will know for sure.

“There are so many factors,” said his mother, Theresa Taylor, of Lafayette, La. “Everything that was important to him was having problems.”

Of the crises facing American troops today, suicide ranks among the most emotionally wrenching — and baffling. Over the course of nearly 12 years and two wars, suicide among active-duty troops has risen steadily, hitting a record of 350 in 2012. That total was twice as many as a decade before and surpassed not only the number of American troops killed in Afghanistan but also the number who died in transportation accidents last year.
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Wade Toothman Refused to see a doctor about possible post-traumatic stress. “People will say I’m crazy.”

Wade's Mom Louise is in my book THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR and told her story.

The answer is to stop resilience training. Plain and simple.

Non-deployed servicemen and women can in fact be hit by PTSD from training and the rude awakening that combat is far different from computer games and target practice with their Dads. Training by design is breaking them down. Some can't take it. Then there is the factor of sexual abuse on males as well as females. There is the knowledge that they could also be the next to be blown up in combat. It isn't as if they can just give their two weeks notice and go on to another job. Leaving the military stays with them. We also know that less than half of the veterans with PTSD seek help. Resilience training adds to this by telling them they can become "mentally tough" and train their brains to be resilient. What they hear is another story. They hear if they end up with PTSD they are weak minded and didn't train right. Their buddies got the same message, so they will not talk to them about what is going on.

It is the same story when they are deployed but what is fascinating about them is most do not commit suicide while deployed. They refuse to allow themselves to feel that much pain while they buddies are still in danger during combat. They wait until everyone is safely back home.

If the DOD was serious, they would end this approach. The number of forces committing suicide is higher when they become veterans.