Suicide hot line got calls from 22,000 veterans
By KATHARINE EUPHRAT, Associated Press Writer Mon Jul 28, 6:21 AM ET


WASHINGTON - More than 22,000 veterans have sought help from a special suicide hot line in its first year, and 1,221 suicides have been averted, the government says.


According to a recent RAND Corp. study, roughly one in five soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan displays symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, putting them at a higher risk for suicide. Researchers at Portland State University found that male veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide than men who are not veterans.
This month, a former Army medic, Joseph Dwyer, who was shown in a Military Times photograph running through a battle zone carrying an Iraqi boy, died of an accidental overdose after struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder for almost five years.
Janet Kemp, national suicide prevention coordinator for the Veterans Affairs Department, said the hot line is in place to help prevent deaths such as Dwyer's. "We just want them to know there's other options and people do care about them, and we can help them make a difference in their lives," she said in an interview.

The VA teamed up with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to launch the hot line last July after years of criticism that the VA wasn't doing enough to help wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. In April, two veterans groups sued the VA, citing long delays for processing applications and other problems in treatment for veterans at risk for suicide. The department has spent $2.9 million on the hot line thus far.
The hot line receives up to 250 calls per day — double the average number calling when it began. Kemp said callers are divided evenly between veterans from the Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam wars. Richard McKeon, public health adviser for SAMHSA, said 10 to 20 of the 1,575 calls received each week have to be rerouted to high-volume backup call centers throughout the country.
The VA estimates that every year 6,500 veterans take their own lives. The mental health director for the VA, Ira Katz, said in an e-mail last December that of the 18 veterans who commit suicide each day, four to five of them are under VA care, and 12,000 veterans under VA care are attempting suicide each year.
This month, the hot line began an advertising campaign in Washington area subway stations and buses featuring the slogan, "It takes the courage and strength of a warrior to ask for help."

The veterans hot line, which is linked to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, received 55,000 callers in its first year, including both veterans and people who are concerned about them, according to figures being released Monday. One-third of the 40 specially trained counselors are veterans themselves.
"We try to get them (callers) to talk about their situation and what they remember and see if they can identify exactly what their issues are. I think there's a comfort in knowing that they can get some help from people who do understand what combat stress is like," Kemp said.

From the call center, counselors instantly can check a veteran's medical records and then connect the caller to local VA suicide prevention coordinators for follow-up, monitoring and care at local VA medical centers. Kemp said that since the hot line started, 106 veterans have been steered to free medical care from the VA.
Kemp said the hot line was put in place specifically for those veterans who don't get enough help until it's too late. "They have indicated to us that they are in extreme danger, either they have guns in their hand or they're standing on a bridge, or they've already swallowed pills," she said. Kemp said 1,221 veterans who were in such situations were rescued during the hot line's first year.

The VA is preparing for the eventual return of a large number of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. This could put added stress on the mental health screening program for returning veterans, which could lead to a rise in undiagnosed mental health issues. The VA recently got enough money to double its suicide prevention staff and is planning to hire 212 more people soon.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day by calling 800-273-TALK (8255); veterans should press "1" after being connected.
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http://www.lavenajohnson.com/2007/03...ers-death.html

It's heart-breaking, Alffe.

From what I have experienced so far, it's because these men/women were either forced or deceived into military service. For my Vietnam vet friend, he was drafted right out of high school. He lives day after day with the memory of holding a very close friend - well, half of him, anyway - as he lay dying. He has to sleep every night with the nameless faces of people he had to kill. During his most formative years as an adult, the only lesson he learned was "search and destroy."

For my son, he became frustrated because he didn't have the money to go to college and couldn't find a job. He desperately wanted to get on with his life because he wants the resources necessary to be able to care for me and my husband as we cared for my parents in their time of need. He wants to have a wife and family of his own, but he knows he'll need to be able to provide for them first. He knows how upset I'd be to have hungry or neglected grandbabies.

My son has been deceived many times so far. Right now, he's holding on to the promises they have given him for when he gets out. If they do him wrong, I can't really be responsible for his behavior - especially after the training he's been through. I'll be just as angry.

For many others, they were fooled into thinking they would be protecting the people of this country - as if we'd lose our "freedom" if we lost the war in Vietnam. We lost the war - what "freedom" did we lose? I absolutely cringed when we justified the war in Iraq as we tried to justify the war in Vietnam.

What makes this worse for me is my Vietnam friend is having more PTSD episodes because of this war and because of my son serving overseas. He's been my son's buddy ever since my son was an infant. He used to tell my son he served in Vietnam so that my son wouldn't have to go to war. Now he can only hope my son stays alive and won't follow the same path my friend was forced to walk when he returns home.

I'm thankful the professionals are recognizing this trend and my hat goes off to those who are in a position to help our suicidal vets. I'm worried that the treatment isn't enough though. As much as they care, they will never be able to wipe away those painful memories or give them back their limbs. IMO, the best medicine is prevention. I hope and pray our soldiers come home soon. I hope and pray no more soldiers will be sent to war unnecessarily.

I think we had less of a problem with our WWII vets because it was a necessary war for a more noble cause. The people of this country suffered right along with the soldiers. Heck, women even gave up their stockings for the cause. What have WE sacrificed on a daily basis for our Vietnam and Iraq war veterans? Nothing.

My newlywed daughter sacrificed her Nat'l Guard DH for more than a year while he proudly served in Iraq. They even had to move up the wedding date a few months.

One of his jobs was to spot IEDs as they were being placed along the roadside. He purchased $800 binoculars before being sent over there, and they may just have saved his life. Thankfully he was not injured and returned home safely, although DD does say he is somewhat changed.

Twinkletoes

I'm glad he made it home safely, and I pray there will be no lasting harmful effects for your family. As much as I criticize this war, I will NEVER criticize our soldiers. I'm proud of your son for following orders, completing his mission, and having the courage to do whatever his country asked of him.

I wasn't referring to the veterans or their families when I referred to sacrificing nothing. I was referring to those who have the option to turn their backs on this war - no friends or family directly involved. I always thought "we" meant ALL of us in this country, and they keep saying "we" are at war. IMO, waving a flag or placing a bumper sticker on your car isn't much of a sacrifice in order to maintain the survival of this country OR it's people.

We have a friend (he is in his sixties!) and is being sent on special duty to Afganhistan. War should be against the law...I'm not kidding about that. His wife is on the floor over this as he was extended yet again after being in Iraq.

How could anyone ever get over having to kill someone before they kill you. How could you ever sleep through the night?

Sixties? SIXTIES???? Isn't that supposed to be the time of your life when it's okay to be lazy and have someone fetch your slippers for you - preferrably little snot-nosed grandbabies? Hasn't a man of that age seen enough "adventure" in his lifetime? At the very least, a soldier who has already served should be allowed to live out his golden years doing what HE wants to do - with his family by his side.

I'm afraid that's what you get when you excell at special services...I wonder if he's sorry for his "interesting" career choice.

My son came home from Iraq 2 years ago (he joined marines because he wanted to be just like his messed up alcoholic Daddy that won't even speak of his time in Vietnam and I was so happy when my son was given a general discharge because he took his laptop with him, another kid was messing with it and one of them downloaded a child porn page) (not my son, he is very much about honor and protecting kids) but I think it was from downloading songs from limewire, people attach nasty files (I have found some awful stuff on my laptop and I am only user so I quit using it) but they are both so messed up with PTSD that I don't know if they will ever get over it! My dh for the first time in over 40 years is getting help for it through the VA and I can already see a change in him and I want so bad for my son to get the same help as I know they both saw and did things they can't hardly live with and I feel so angry with the Gov for luring them there! Dh begged our son not to join, but it did no good, then they kick him to the curb for something he did not do.....I think it is so they can take his benefits from him, but his discharge will become honorable after a year and his laptop was returned to him....I just think they are evil! Just a angry wife and mothers opinion. I worry all the time that suicide will one day get one or both of them

(((Junie)))

A young man my son served with on the base had a slight weight problem and kept getting orders to participate in a physical exercise program. An officer didn't like the kid, so he "sentenced" him to go through the program yet again. The kid missed one of the classes, and he was promptly booted out of the Navy. After nearly three years in the military, the kid lost all his benefits - simply because his officer didn't like his pot belly.

I'm hoping we're beginning to see a climate change in our military. It helps to have medical professionals speaking up in defense of treating the "hidden wounds" of our war-torn soldiers. Back in your husband's day, he would have been accused of being a "wimp" for complaining about what he had to endure. Since when do men have to act like ROBOTS (uncaring machines) in order to be MEN? Geesh!

I'll keep your family in my prayers.