Suicides Up in 2007 to 115

[redkim]

Yahoo story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080529/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/military_suicides

This is simply awful. Are there any veterans here that can explain suicide while on duty?

PS......this thread is NOT for debate on whether or not we should have gone in or whether or not President Bush is to blame.

[WorldWarrior]

Is it "okay" to talk about and perhaps disagree on possbile reasons for suicides when still  on active duty?


Also-why don't we talk about the total number of Veterans of Iraq suicides? And not just the ones while on active duty?



"WASHINGTON - The number of Army suicides increased again last year, amid the most violent year yet in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. An Army official said Thursday that 115 troops committed suicide in 2007, a nearly 13 percent increase over the previous year's 102. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because a full report on the deaths wasn't being released until later Thursday.

 
About a quarter of the deaths occurred in Iraq.

The 115 confirmed deaths among active duty soldiers and National Guard and Reserve troops that had been activated was a lower number than previously feared. Preliminary figures released in January showed as many as 121 troops might have killed themselves, but a number of the deaths were still being investigated then and have since been attributed to other causes, the officials said.

Suicides have been rising during the five-year-old war in Iraq and nearly seven years of war in Afghanistan."



btw--in addition to not addressing the suicides of all Veterans of Iraq--it also only includes the suicides of actiive duty Soldiers--and not active duty Marines or Marine Veterans--or Navy active duty/veterans.

[redkim]

talk about what you want as long as it addresses the topic and does not veer off into an anti-Bush screed.

[WorldWarrior]

Question--are you by any chance confusing "active duty" (IE being in the service) with "deployed in Iraq" (actually being in Iraq)?

[redkim]

I'm not confusing anything.

[WorldWarrior]

I'm just trying to understand what your uquesztions refer to.

You say--

"Are there any veterans here that can explain suicide while on duty?"
"

The term "on duty" implies actively involved in fighting in Iraq.

Being "active duty" soldiers means being in the Armed Services--not necessarily in Iraq.


There's a big difference as anyone deployed to Iraq will tell you.


And there's a big difference between being deployed--in general--to Iraq. And being in combat or in a combat zone.


All the above would come into consideration when discussing the multiple possible reasons for active duty and veteran suicides.

[redkim]

It is as I said it: on duty, whether deployed in Iraq or not. All active duty personnel, whether they are in Georgia or Baghdad are welcome.

[WorldWarrior]

There are generally very different cuases for suicides among veterans of deployment in a war zone/combat than for service members who are not or who have not been deployed in combat.


Among non-combat veterans the causes tend to be the same as for the non-military person--depression over family, finances, personal relationships. Alcohol--as in the civilian population--can play a big role in suicide attempts and completed suicides.



For veterans of combat/combat zones the reasons are more often related to the multiple an complex effects of PTSD and/or TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and/or other serious/permanently debilitating injuries like amputations or paralysis--or any permanent injury that leaves the veteran unable to resume her/his former life.

[redkim]

And how do you know this?

[Acumen]

There are generally very different cuases for suicides among veterans of deployment in a war zone/combat than for service members who are not or who have not been deployed in combat.


Among non-combat veterans the causes tend to be the same as for the non-military person--depression over family, finances, personal relationships. Alcohol--as in the civilian population--can play a big role in suicide attempts and completed suicides.



For veterans of combat/combat zones the reasons are more often related to the multiple an complex effects of PTSD and/or TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and/or other serious/permanently debilitating injuries like amputations or paralysis--or any permanent injury that leaves the veteran unable to resume her/his former life.

Where is your evidence?

[WorldWarrior]

"And how do you know this?"



People with family members etc deployed in Iraq in combat zones tend to pay attention to these things. There has been a lot of information about PTSD and TBIs and psychological/emotional  disorders afeecting soldiers and other veterans of the current wars.

Not to mention the previous war that had similar effects on its veterans.

[WorldWarrior]

Acumen--do you want the stats for TBIs or PTSD among Iraq vets?

[redkim]

"And how do you know this?"



People with family members etc deployed in Iraq in combat zones tend to pay attention to these things. There has been a lot of information about PTSD and TBIs and psychological/emotional  disorders afeecting soldiers and other veterans of the current wars.

Not to mention the previous war that had similar effects on its veterans.

You've given nothing but general information. I am more interested in specifics.

[WorldWarrior]

Those are the specifics--the differences between why combat veterans commit suicide and why non-combat vterans commit suicide.

If you want case histories you'll have to find those for yourself.

[Acumen]

I was looking for evidence for this:

Among non-combat veterans the causes tend to be the same as for the non-military person--depression over family, finances, personal relationships. Alcohol--as in the civilian population--can play a big role in suicide attempts and completed suicides.

[redkim]

Those are the specifics--the differences between why combat veterans commit suicide and why non-combat vterans commit suicide.

If you want case histories you'll have to find those for yourself.

THis is why I asked for those with active duty experience to weigh in.

[WorldWarrior]

Here are some examples--

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/3/28/16513/1980

[WorldWarrior]

PTSD as cause of suicide

http://www.suicide.org/ptsd-and-suicide.html



PTSD as cause of suicide among Vietnam vets--the link has a number of other links with a lot of information.

http://www.vietnow.com/ptsd.htm

[redkim]

Here are some examples--

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/3/28/16513/1980

It doesn't really say why they are killing themselves though. I mean, there's no analysis.

[redkim]

PTSD as cause of suicide

http://www.suicide.org/ptsd-and-suicide.html



PTSD as cause of suicide among Vietnam vets--the link has a number of other links with a lot of information.

http://www.vietnow.com/ptsd.htm

THank you. I am fully aware of what PTSD is since I was diagnosed with it in 2001.