13
Feb 20

SUICIDE: MILITARY’S WORST ENEMY

Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. Suicide is a serious topic within the general population, as well as the military. Suicide rates for active-duty service members and veterans are rising. According to statistics, 20 veterans die by suicide each day (Giacomo, 2019.) It is not just members of the service that deal with stress, but families undergo many stressors and experience a variety of exposures while dealing with the military lifestyle. Veterans are victims of suicide due to many reasons, including failure to adapt back into civilian life, a process many find challenging, the feeling of helplessness, and dealing with Post Traumatic Symptom Disorder (PTSD).

One of the most significant battles is the military is seeking mental health treatment. Why? Because it goes against everything we are taught in boot camp. We are told to push through the pain and to think of everybody else before self. It is teaching us one team one fight culture, although this is contradicting because many of us associate that with keeping our needs and feelings to ourselves. There are many myths as to why service members are afraid or don’t come forward about mental health. One myth that is known amongst service members is that a psychological health condition or seeking professional help will automatically disqualify you for a security clearance. In fact, less than 1% of security clearance denials and revocations involve psychological health concerns. We can educate and prevent by bringing awareness to current trends and statistics in military health, to break the stigma regarding reprimands for seeking mental health, loss of security clearance/ active duty status, and other mental health myths.

There is no single cause for suicide. We have to pay attention to those around us and reach out if they show drastic changes and signs. The importance of knowing the warning signs is as critical as saving a life. Each suicide is one too many, and we need as much help to save lives. Suicide can’t be predicted but can be prevented. Seeking help is a sign of strength. September is the official Suicide Prevention Month.

 

Giacomo, C. (2019, November 1). Suicide Has Been Deadlier Than Combat for the Military. Retrieved February 13, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/01/opinion/military-suicides.html.

Staglin, Garen. “The U.S. Military Can Lead The Way In Mental Health And Suicide Prevention.” Forbes, 21 Nov. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/onemind/2019/11/21/the-us-military-can-lead-the-way-in-mental-health-and-suicide-prevention/#69e15b4e78ca.


06
Nov 16

Adolescent Suicide – Can We Prevent It?

Having grown up during the development of the internet and all it has brought us, I’ve experienced the gamut of online experiences.  From the screeches and binging of logging onto the internet, connections so slow that I would go to a website expecting to make some tea or a sandwich before the site loaded, to our current world of endless information at the click of a button.  It’s truly amazing how much things have changed in the last 20 years.

Along with these advancements come some major pitfalls.  The internet has opened up a whole new medium for a myriad of social interactions, many positive, but at least as many are negative.  Bullying has taken on a whole new meaning, having moved from the playground to the internet.  Bullies can now torment their victims without the need to taunt them face-to-face.  This has opened up a host of opportunities for bullies to psychologically abuse victims.

According to a recent study released by the US Centers for Disease Control, the suicide rate for children between the ages of 10 and 14 has doubled since 2007.  This is a disturbing statistic.  The fact that children, who have barely lived at all, have found life too unbearable to continue, is saddening.  The fact that the suicide rate has doubled in less than a decade is alarming.

I recently learned that my thirteen year old niece was put on suicide watch. Thirteen.  I couldn’t believe it.  I wondered what could drive this lively, young, quirky, cool girl to contemplate taking her life.  After speaking with my sister, it was a combination of factors.  Mean girls, depression, coming out, bullies, etc.  My niece had come out of the closet and had experienced some backlash from friends.  On top of that, she was/is depressed and was being bullied online and at school.  It’s scary to think that all of this drover her to want to kill herself, which begs the question: How can we prevent this?

An number of studies have been conducted regarding online bullying and the effects it has on children.  In addition, there have been many cases in the news of kids being harassed and bullied to the point of suicide.  Ultimately, the solution, or prevention, rests on the shoulders of parents and teachers.  Being aware of what’s going on in your child’s life, picking up on key phrases or feelings “I wish I could go to sleep forever” or “I wish I were dead” would be queues for parents and teachers to start opening communication and begin prevention efforts.

The true cause remains foggy.  It’s relative to the individual and their personal experiences.  Because of this, it makes adolescent suicide very hard to study, but not impossible.  Ultimately, more effort needs to be put into studying the problem so we can come up with a solution.  Until then, prevention is key.  Awareness and action on the part of parents and teachers is essential when it comes to targeting at-risk kids and intervening before tragedy strikes.

 

Middlebrook, H. (2016, November 03). Suicide deaths on the rise in kids. Retrieved November 06, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/03/health/kids-suicide-deaths-increase/index.html.


Skip to toolbar