Friday, February 01, 2008
350 attempted suicides in 2002 and 2100 in 2007? Am I reading that correctly? I would (sadly) not be surprised about an increase in a time of war, but a sixfold increase? Why are we not shouting this from the highest mountain? There's been a lot of talk lately about increasing mental health services for soldiers - active and veterans. But unfortunately...
The Army was unprepared for the high number of suicides and cases of post-traumatic stress disorder among its troops, as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have continued far longer than anticipated. Many Army posts still do not offer enough individual counseling and some soldiers suffering psychological problems complain that they are stigmatized by commanders. Over the past year, four high-level commissions have recommended reforms and Congress has given the military hundreds of millions of dollars to improve its mental health care, but critics charge that significant progress has not been made.
Congress has stepped up to the plate with hundreds of millions of dollars. Why are we not seeing results?
Outside of expressing our frustration, what do we do? Resist the temptation to point fingers and lay blame. The entire world knows where to lay blame for this, so move on. Instead, contact your elected representatives. Thank them for what funding they've provided, ask them for whatever else they can provide, but above all, ask them to light a fire under the military. Set goals with hard deadlines. Ask for their commitment to do everything in their power to ensure our soldiers and veterans receive the assistance and care they deserve. This issue is as important as any we face today, and the problem is not going away. Like many of those soldiers who served in Viet Nam, today's veterans may be experiencing the effects of this war for the rest of their lives. Society may be experiencing the effects of this war for the rest of OUR lives.
Thanks to all our soldiers for your service. Our gratitude is beyond our ability to express.
I'm interested in hearing other's opinions on this. Any suggestions, comments, input? Leave a comment and let us know.
Not a day goes by that I don't worry about my daughter, a soldier in the Army National Guard stationed in Iraq. One of her fellow soldiers attempted suicide in front of her and some others. Luckily they got to him before he could succeed. They risked their lives to prevent him from taking his.
She has told me of mental breakdowns there and what happens. I worry about her all the time wondering what her mind will be like when she comes home. There are only a handful of females in her unit with over 200 men. The harrassment alone would drive a person batty but being over there is unreal. I don't have to read the papers or listen to the news to get a sense of what it is like for her to be there. I see it in her writing, I hear it in her voice.
When my daughter comes home, she may have problems. Chances are she will. She will also have a therapist waiting for her...mine. How the bill gets paid is something we will worry about after. All I know is that somebody had better start getting their ducks in a row to help these kids when they come back. I really don't think that the majority of the population has a clue as to what they are going through there and when they get home and how bad the benefits are especially for reservists and guard members. Out of respect for my daughter and because I shoot my mouth off when I shouldn't, I just won't say anymore except I think it stinks.
People pay more attention to which new commercial will be on during the Super Bowl than they do with what is happening to our kids over there and when they come back. It's sad and it's scary.