re: On Average, A Veteran Commits Suicide Every 65 Minutes

Very good video. After seeing it I wrote a check to the American Legion.

I met a very young Iraqi veteran who was having problems. His first assignment as a very young soldier was morgue duty. I can only imagine the mangled bodies he saw. I don’t know how anyone can be prepared for that. God Bless all our Veterans.

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Do you happen to recognize any pattern in terms of the vets asking for help way too late so to speak? IOW, anguish alone and try to self medicate, suppress or drink which is what most men do anyway when depressed. Too tough to admit help is needed.

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I have no medical (mental or physical) expertise whatsoever, but my impression is that many do seem to deal with substance abuse and personal/familial matters (e.g., divorce, estrangement from family members) that seem to stem from that.

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My dad told his support group what he was planning on doing. They had a what’s said here stays here pact so they said nothing. The leader of the group told by mom this at his casket.

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I don’t know what to say to this, absolutely terrible

I’m going to see myself out of this thread, but that pact and the men that honored it despite what your father said, was the ultimate sign of respect to the man your father was. I hope you don’t view it as a negative.

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A family member of mine lost 4 platoon buds in Iraq evidenced by the helmet/rifle/boots tats on his back, and the same amount back home after. He's not sure which is worse last time I heard him speak of it.

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Watching this documentary, this thought crosses my mind. That if we lost 22 per day each and every single day in foreign combat, our leaders would shite a brick. Just from the domestic pressure and outrage that would inevitably happen by the public. You know? But this gets no major air time. Or senate hearings. Or retaliation.

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Someone with more historical knowledge would have to chime in, but I wonder what contributes more to Vietnam and Middle East in particular causing issues. From an outside perspective, maybe the difficulty differentiating between combatants and innocents? Not so black and white with uniforms and such.

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Part of it is due to the wars not being fully supported by US citizens. Vietnam Veterans were not treated well by a lot of people. And you are right about these wars including women and kids in some places. I also think if it was truly studied, you would find it in previous wars. They would call it being shell shocked. The Hell’s Angels were founded by WW2 vets who had trouble adjusting to normal life.

I get it...surprised it’s so few, to be honest. I don’t deal with mental pain, but physical pain is a bitch. I’m middle aged, but feel like I’m 80 most days. The drugs and frequent medical procedures hold you together, but it’s just a matter of time.

In my experience, Marines seem better equipped for the mental part of waging war then coming home to live a “normal life”. We rarely snap and hurt others and I honestly haven’t had “issues” with PTSD. I’m not saying it isn’t real, because it is, but it just doesn’t bother Marines to the extent that it does others. My theory is that the mental breakdown/reprogramming that takes place for Marines makes dealing with combat (mentally) a lot easier to overcome after we return home.

That being said, the physical breakdown is what does us in. I was in for a long time and tore up just about everything that can be tore up. I won’t see 60 years old because I’ll either die before then or I’ll check out myself. I’ll check out myself before I become bed ridden, either way. We/Me are just not able to handle the complete breakdown of the body afterwards. Everyone seems to become dependent on drugs and regular surgeries to keep us going day to day, and eventually those things fail too. It is what it is. It was certainly fun while it lasted. I don’t use the VA because I’m lucky enough to have options, but they do what they can. I tried using them early on, but they just can’t keep up. They don’t have anywhere close to the resources. I believe, at least today, they try to do what they can. It wasn’t always like that.

Out of my platoon of 45, we have had 8 suicides since we have been home. Its a combination of things. My secret has been to immerse myself in my work and my wife/kids. I have also mostly quit drinking entirely. That has been a huge help.

When I went to combat the first time, I had some college under my belt and a trajectory already in place. When I got out, I pursued a graduate degree and that took up all my time/energy. When you exhaust yourself with other things, you don't have time to dwell on things. Not everyone has this luxury. When I went the second time, I had my degree and alot of options when I got home. In other words, where a person was before they were in the service can play a huge role in where they end up. For most of us, our time in service was the best we will ever be in life. I know it was for me. I will never be that strong, fast, witted or alert again. I think that is true of most everyone.

Now imagine the guy who comes home having seen whatever he sees, but he is now home with no post HS education, no good job prospects, a history of family poverty, crime or substance abuse. Or someone whose wife can't deal with his post-deployment shite and leaves, taking his kids. Or he can't find or keep a job because of untreated issues. These things can all snowball and make someone give up fast. This is not in indictment of military service, but the horrors of war change people and can have a paralyzing effect on simple tasks of life that seem effortless to the average person. This leads to anger, sorrow and hopelessness. Then you turn to drugs, alcohol and eventually end it all.

I still have battles with the demons, but I have learned to recognize the triggers and avoid them if possible. Staying busy is the key.

One thing I have learned over the past few years is that you have a very small window to reach people in this kind of distress. If you are not paying attention, you may miss it and by the time you realize it, its too late.