While March's suicides are a few less than for February, it's definitely not low enough! And, the reserves and National Guard are losing many while not on active duty status. Looking at how many of those where unemployed. March 2013 Military Suicides.
Today is the Pat Tillman run, in the wake of terror at the Boston Marathon, and the capture of the second suspect, with the first having been killed the day before. Having closure in Boston is such a relief, especially as it happened before the run in Tempe, AZ, where Tillman went to college at ASU. But, this week seems to be a reminder of what we as a country have been fighting for and against for more than a decade - for those who love this country and do what they can to make it a better place, including one who leaft a lucrative NFL career in order to fight for that country; and against those who would tear this country down.
Those who participate in and support the Pat Tillman run (which has expanded to take place in other cities across the nation, including NY, where Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will run for the cause) and the many who risked their lives to save others at the finishing line in Boston and hunted down those who set the bombs also reminds us of those who suffer because of their trauma from these events. Another event that seems overshadowed by Boston is the plant explosion in West, TX, where many lost their lives, including those from the volunteer fire department who went in to save others. Again, an example of who we are as a nation - selfless and strong, courageous and loving. Please say a prayer for them. Please help them in any way you can as you see people suffering from terrorism and trauma in America. And know that no matter what, we can and will overcome! God Bless the USA! For all the negative treads in the suicide rate in the military and veteran community, there seems to be a model for some success at Ft. Bliss - the ASIST program that gets everyone involved in prevention. Check out the article: 'Changing the Culture' Helps Ft. Bliss Lower Suicide Rate
This article shares the desperately high rate of mental health needs in the country - one in five experienced mental health illness in 2011. While there are differences in statistics, it crosses all age ranges, genders, races, and religions. As it notes, early intervention does help!
Mental Illness in America Last week, Pastor Rick Warren's son committed suicide. His father attributed his death to "years of struggle with depression and a 'momentary wave of despair.'"
Depression is deadly and without the mental health needed to work through it, suicide is the result. When will we as a country learn that mental health is as important as physical health? Pastor Rick Warren loses son to suicide. Eye-opening, April 10, 2013
By L. Fitzwater This review is from: Unvalidated Pain: A Chaplain’s Journey to Iraq and Back (Paperback) It's hard to say this is a "good" book, because it leaves you feeling frustrated knowing about the high suicide rate of our military and that the government doesn't recognize it or do much to help. I believe the author did an excellent job of putting me in her shoes and what she went through - feeling like she should have seen it... stopped it. I would have felt the same way and I think, if we're honest, most of us would have felt like that. Because so many of our military come back in one piece, we think everything's fine - it isn't. We need to reach out to them. My 7 year old daughter never fails, when she sees a soldier (and we live next to a very large military base, so she sees a lot of them), to go up and thank them for their service. I've taught her to never go up from behind, but to get in front of them and get their attention - for obvious reasons. From the looks on many of their faces, they're shocked and it's obvious no one has ever thanked them before. So sad. I wish I could reach out to every one of them and get the help they may need - whether it's physical or emotional, but I can't. So I do what I can by helping to raise awareness, by sharing and suggesting this book on my facebook page, by putting a copy of this book in both of our rental cabins. I hope others will do the same. I gave it 4 stars due to the font, which I thought was somewhat hard to read. |
AuthorA medically retired, Iraqi Freedom veteran, Army Chaplain. Archives
August 2018
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