Monday, May 14, 2012

The Strange Case of the Returned Servicemen

We've become aware of the post traumatic stress of soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. But, still, these numbers will shock you.

For every serviceman being killed in those two wars, there are 25 veterans committing suicide in the United States. More than 6,500 of our returned servicemen commit suicide every year. That is more in a single year than battlefield deaths in the 10-plus years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq combined.

All this according to a story in the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/opinion/sunday/kristof-a-veterans-death-the-nations-shame.html?pagewanted=all

But, here's a twist that will baffle you: One-third of the suicides are by servicemen who were never deployed, who never tasted the battlefield. So, is the trauma the trauma of seeing others maimed and killed? Is it the trauma of fearing one's own death?

With one-third not having seen a war zone, that would not seem to be the case, at least not the whole case. Saying images of death and dying seared into the minds of our servicemen is the whole cause . . . well, that cannot be, if one-third of those committing teh suicides do not have images of death and dying.

Unless, perhaps, just the fear of war throws one into a life-destroying stress.

(Read from costofwar.org, if you will, for some of the information in this blog. http://costsofwar.org/article/us-veterans-and-military-families)

I find myself suggesting the veteran needs to be nurtured more upon his return (by us as a society, not necessarily by us as a government). I find myself saying we must study more, search for causes, asking family members of those committing suicides what depressions the veterans suffered. Was it lack of employment? Was it flashbacks? What else? Did they suffer depressions before enlistment?

Truth is, much studying is going on, revealing not only suicides, but about every negative impact imaginable. The vets commit more sex crimes, beat their spouses more, overdose from drugs more. They even crash their cars more. Child abuse is three times above what the average is. Unemployment is higher than normal. Divorce is up.

One in five reportedly have mental disorders.

Homelessness? Veterans account for one in four of all people living on our streets. One in four! Astounding, to me. (See http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-11-07-homeless-veterans_N.htm)

What is the cause, or what are the causes? What are the commonalities shared by those committing suicide? One would be training. They all go through training, so we should consider that. Do we tear the soldiers down as we train them, demean them too much? Do we push them too hard, demand too much of them?

I doubt it, but do wonder. They don't call it boot camp without reason. I doubt boot camp could cause such deep trauma, but it, like all other possible causes, must be considered.

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