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Veterans and
the tragedy of suicide
By Melissa Martin
Those who fought for our freedom are also dying by suicide on American
soil.
“On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind.
As a nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we leave
no veteran behind,” proclaimed Dan Lipinski.
In 2015, an average of 20 active duty service members, non-activated
guard or reserve members, and other veterans died by suicide each day,
according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Mental
Health and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP) Facts About Veterans Suicide:
June 2018.
Within Army units, the risk of suicide attempts among soldiers
increases as the number of attempts made within the past year in their
unit rises, according to a study, published in the 2017 journal JAMA
Psychiatry. The research data came from the Army's Study to Assess Risk
and Resilience in Service Members project, or STARRS, America’s largest
study of mental health risk and resilience among military personnel.
“While suicide is a national problem, it is one that also affects
smaller communities, including the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
community. These brave men and women have suffered losses not only on
the battlefield, but from suicide in recent years,” according to a 2017
online article in U.S. Veterans Magazine. www.usveteransmagazine.com/.
As the Federalist pointed out in a 2018 article, research indicates
“feelings of shame or guilt trigger the emotional, mental, and physical
reactions that lead to suicide. This is guilt about what soldiers did
to others and shame of not being able to save the lives of those around
them.” www.thefederalist.com/.
The United States military has identified Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD), other mental illnesses, and addiction as suicide risk
factors.
Other risk factors associated with suicide include relationship
problems, administrative/legal issues, workplace difficulties and
associated medical conditions include traumatic brain injury (TBI),
chronic pain, and sleep disorders. www.deploymentpsych.org/.
Suicide Warning Signs
Know the warning signs: personality change, agitation, withdrawal, poor
self-care, hopelessness, feeling excessive guilt, shame, or sense of
failure, rage or anger, engaging in risky activities without thinking,
losing interest in hobbies, work, or school, increasing alcohol or drug
misuse, withdrawing from family and friends, showing violent behavior
like punching a hole in the wall or getting into fights.
Ohio Veterans and Suicide
In Ohio, 210 veterans died by suicide in 2015 (the most recent year
available), with the highest number being between the ages of 55 and 74
years of age, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
In July 2017, a 23-year veteran of the Air Force Reserves died by
suicide inside the Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Warren, Ohio.
The 53-year-old Vienna man had been honored 31 times with medals,
including the Meritorious Service Medal and Air Force Commendation
Medal, as reported in The Vindicator. www.vindy.com/.
Ohio’s 88 local County Veterans Services Offices provide resources and
assistance. “We are asking all Ohioans to help Ohio heroes by drawing
attention to the warning signs and resources available to prevent
suicide among veterans and military members.” Go to the Ohio Department
of Veterans Services at www.dvs.ohio.gov.
Ohio House Bill 202 (As Reported by the Senate Local Government, Public
Safety and Veterans Affairs Committee) was introduced in 2017 to
designate the first Saturday of May as “Veterans Suicide Awareness
Day.” It passed the House and is now in the Senate.
www.legislature.ohio.gov/. Contact your representatives to show support
of this H.B.
Ohio State University, Columbus, has spotlighted the needs of the
university’s veteran population in regard to suicide prevention.
“Born out of a desire to reduce suicidality in our nation's Veterans,
the Ohio Vet 2 Vet Network aims to bring together a wealth of
information and resources to combat the risk factors of suicide.” An
app for mobile devices that gives Ohio Veterans instant access to
valuable information and resources. www.ohiovet2vetnetwork.com/.
Resources for Vets
Contact the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 or text
838255 to get help or visitVeteransCrisisLine.net.
Stop Soldier Suicide is a national, veteran-founded and veteran-led
nonprofit focused on military suicide prevention.
www.stopsoldiersuicide.org/.
A documentary called “Almost Sunrise” wants to bring attention to
veterans and suicide. Tom Voss and Anthony Anderson (veterans with
P.T.S.D.) walked 2,700 America miles to raise awareness of soldier
suicide. www.sunrisedocumentary.com/.
“Sometimes a soldier returns home and all he can do is share his story
in the hopes that somehow, in some way, it helps another soldier make
sense of things. And although the stories may not be perfect, sometimes
just sharing is enough to make a difference.”
― Michael Anthony, Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir
September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. Please reach out
to the veterans in your circle.
Melissa Martin, Ph.D, is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist.
She lives in Southern Ohio. www.melissamartinchildrensauthor.com.
Contact her at melissamcolumnist@gmail.com.
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