September is national Suicide Prevention Month and now more than ever, participating in or supporting the campaign needs to be more than words. Lives depend on it.
As recruits and cadets begin their initiation processes, a suicide prevention module will be part of it. Though some of it may be absorbed, more often than not, it’s a checkmark. There’s typically no in-depth discussion about what leads to suicidal ideations or thoughts. Spouses of either don’t receive any training at all.
The RAND Corporation has conducted numerous studies on military and veteran suicide rates. Regardless of which study you quote from, the results are the same. The rate of veteran suicide versus civilian has been rising higher and faster. It should be noted that a recent study by Boston University estimates 30,177 post 9/11 veterans have committed suicide. This figure is almost three times the losses accumulated in combat for the War on Terror.
Talking about suicide prevention isn’t working. Dedicating a month to it isn’t working.
While we cannot pinpoint the exact one thing causing it, our widespread knowledge of mental health allows clinicians to make justifiable assumptions and breakdown of specific risk factors. Veterans who abuse alcohol or illegal drugs are twice as likely to commit suicide and so are veterans with traumatic brain injuries.
It is important to understand that more than 41.7 percent of active duty members who committed suicide in 2018 had never been deployed. With the numbers we have, it’s safe to conclude it’s more than war causing the numbers to rise. The Department of Defense only recently started tracking dependent suicide numbers and while it isn’t as high as servicemembers or veterans, it’s worrisome.
While only those who’ve taken their lives can truly know the “why,” we do know a lot about what can lead to it. Essentially, it all boils down to stressors, physiology and mental health. Things like isolation are proven to lead to poor health outcomes and negative mental health diagnosis’ like depression and anxiety, both increasing the risk. It’s possible to assume the constant moving and lack of support system begins the decline into isolation.
It shouldn’t be surprising, given the continuous year after year findings within the Blue Star Families Surveys and other studies. Life stressors and military life combined with a sustained 20 year war are wreaking havoc. Though we may have officially pulled our troops out of Afghanistan, the impacts will be rippling through our community for years.
No clinician or suicide prevention professional can solve everyday life stressors. Things like financial stress, relationship struggles or unpredicted traumas will come along. However, those who are fortified with healthy and effective coping strategies can navigate those much more efficiently. To build the toolbox of coping, the DOD can start with really ensuring the message of how seeking counseling does not harm the servicemember is believed. The distrust and fear of losing careers is still a barrier, even for military spouses.
Establishing peer groups within all units for round table discussions about struggles with the uniform left at the door would support those distrustful of the system. It’s widely recognized that military members are more likely to feel more secure talking to a peer versus someone deemed an outsider. A big part of trauma therapy and healing lies in processing the issues instead of bottling them up. A clinician once told me our community is like a shaken up soda bottle.
Very rarely do we slowly ease the top off, instead it’s a rapid fire explosion with a big mess. For this suicide prevention month, let’s do all the things. Workouts, motivational speeches and advocating on Capitol Hill. But don’t stop there. If there’s someone you know who is exhibiting concerning behaviors, use your connection to build a safety plan. Did you know the 29 people who survived their suicide attempts off the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge all admitted to regretting their decision as soon as they jumped? Let’s reach them before the moment happens.
Use your safe space with them to build a plan if thoughts arise. It can be as simple as a promise to call certain people or do certain things the second those thoughts invade. No, this isn’t going to stop them all. But my hope is if this “battle” safety plan is official, they’ll be more apt to use it and truly know there are people waiting to love them through those moments. Hard times are always just seconds away and this community has been experiencing them way more frequently in the last few years. It’s important to hone in on the message of seasons. We enjoy some more than others but have to get through the ones we don’t like.
As for hard moments or challenges, making it through them sure feels good on the other side just like those favored seasons. We just have to help each other make it there.