Veterans and the rash of suicides

Bobw235

Bobw235

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
I found this deeply disturbing. I'm not a veteran myself, having missed Vietnam by about a year after the draft ended. This article is powerful and will likely leave you shaking your head, thinking that we as a nation have failed these poor souls who served their country. I don't know that there are any easy answers here, but thought I'd share this article from the NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/20/u...column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
 

They have failed veterans 100%, the waiting lists for mental health services can be a few years long. Sadly civilian services are worse, then you add in our countries gun culture...equaling vets solving PTSD on their own terms.
 
Suicide rates for the last two conflicts have been through the roof. All war is heck but with multiple deployments and a very tedious environment/life this stresses many. Also transitioning from military to civilian life is tough for a lot of people period. In the military you know or are told where to go for assistance. Civilian life you are on your own, sometimes literally. Those coming back from deployments and transitioning out of the service period should get special attention including where to go as a civilian even if it's the name of local veteran organizations. Veteran Affairs staff should be with and do more for our troops period. They should be at points of departure heading home and at the various out briefings, meetings or classes.
 

Much of my career has been focused on helping vets deal with PTSD. For many it is hell on earth. Suicide is rampant, even with intervention of one kind or another. Sadly there is no cure for severe PTSD. Remission is possible, some individuals are able to rebuild their lives. Many slip through the cracks of the system. More needs to be done to help these people who have given so much for their country(ies.) It is so heartbreaking when a vet gives up and embraces suicide. They deserve so much more.
 
Yes... I know.. My son served two tours and is addicted.. Fortunately he is sober almost one year.. He has received fantastic help from the VA.. No way do I agree that the VA is horrible. My son has had the very best of care.
 
drudgs already a problem

QuickSilver said:
I would imagine drug and alcohol additions runs are really close second
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Drugs and alcohol have always been an issue in many military units even in peace time or in garrison. Like the civilian world it comes down to unit leadership/commanders. Many young people get to do very adult jobs but they also get to do adult recreational activities like drinking. Along with being on their own for the first time.

Also many reserve or guard units have seen multiple deployments in combat zones. Many still sign up or re enlist hoping it will be the standard weekend a month and a month or so training. There was a unit of Colorado that multiple and/or long deployments during the first few years of the Iraq War/invasion and they had huge problems. But it was also later discovered many in their unit had prior criminal and drug abuse history ignored so they would have a full experienced unit come deployment-that's the unit commander.

I think the Marines shortened their deployments/tours to 6-8 months several years ago.
 
One thing that came through in this article was the impression that the VA was just not able to help these men and that they have gotten to a place where they're trying to help themselves through their own support network. I don't think the VA was equipped to handle issues like this, though it would seem they have tried. Whatever the VA has been trying when it comes to preventing suicide among returning vets seems not to be working. Is it that the counselors, doctors and administrators can't relate to the issue because they've not lived through it? I don't know that there are any simple solutions here. I've always thought I'd like to volunteer to help veterans once I retire, though I have no idea in what capacity. Then I think, how could I ever relate to the things these folks have been through and how difficult it must be to cope with those memories.
 
The VA is pretty handicapped when considering getting good help from them. My example is of lack of places to get attention. Where I lived in Colorado there was no VA help to be had. The nearest VA location was a clinic type place and it was other side of the mountains, about an hour drive away and not a place to go for real medical help. Yes, two doctors on staff, but no real medical help provided. Now for real medical help to be provided the folks would be told to drive from Colorado down into New Mexico for real active doctors and medical help and that was about 4 hours of so away by driving. So a visit required over night staying for a doctors visit. I was called once a year to the hour long drive in Colorado but never took the overnight run to New Mexico. But I know of one who did that for his illnesses. So he could only do that when he had some major reasons for the trip would cost him some pocket money.

Yes the VA can help those nearby and able to make the long drives for visits. For me I was able to just sit back and let my employer arranged medical insurance help me and the wife the most.
 
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You cannot expect the VA to have facilities everywhere. We DO live near a major VA facility. My son has received top notch quality care from the VA.. He has NEVER had to wait for care. He has never been charged for care. When he went into recovery, the VA housed him, provided therapy with a psychiatrist, and counseling. He has been in a recovery house on the VA campus.. he was provided shelter and food as well as healthcare. The VA provided job counseling and placement. Now he is working and is paying rent at the facility. When the time comes the VA will help him find an apartment. I don't understand all the negative talk about the VA as that is not the experience we have had.
 
QuickSilver said:
You cannot expect the VA to have facilities everywhere. We DO live near a major VA facility. My son has received top notch quality care from the VA.. He has NEVER had to wait for care. He has never been charged for care. When he went into recovery, the VA housed him, provided therapy with a psychiatrist, and counseling. He has been in a recovery house on the VA campus.. he was provided shelter and food as well as healthcare. The VA provided job counseling and placement. Now he is working and is paying rent at the facility. When the time comes the VA will help him find an apartment. I don't understand all the negative talk about the VA as that is not the experience we have had.
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It comes down to local management and were there a lot of veterans from that geographic area. Here they have cover ups of wait times etc. Heard stories of 3-6 month minimum waits. I knew a Korean era vet was told he have to wait years since his problem was a less urgent issue-last category of VA triage criteria.

You would figure that there would be VA facilities near the big bases and majors cities. Sometimes big bases are not near a big city.
 
And that lack of usable VA facilities is the biggest problem. I have heard of efforts to get local doctors approved by the VA in order to make VA more general in use for most of us around this country. Not sure how that proposal has turned out.
 
WhatInThe said:
It comes down to local management and were there a lot of veterans from that geographic area. Here they have cover ups of wait times etc. Heard stories of 3-6 month minimum waits. I knew a Korean era vet was told he have to wait years since his problem was a less urgent issue-last category of VA triage criteria.

You would figure that there would be VA facilities near the big bases and majors cities. Sometimes big bases are not near a big city.
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My son has never called the VA for an appointment and had more than a 2 week wait usually less... Not at all unlike a private doctor. So I'm not sure were these stories are coming from or the particulars of them.
 
Where I live now in Arizona I went early on in my new residence to a VA operation a couple miles away. It looked like a nice place, was given time with a helper to sit down and register, which I did. Then was told to put my name in the list for appointments. When told it might be a bit of time, in months, till an opening I just left and returned to my regular doctors. In addition to my VA entitlements I also have good health insurance from my employer of past years.

Now since that event about three years ago the local VA bunch has been called down for false information and poor working arrangements as some folks have waited for more than months, some apparently for years. Sort of a disaster area under covers for the VA.

This has been off and on in the news but I have no idea if they have improved the Arizona VA or not. I have not gone back.
 
Here is an example of a unit that should've been discharging troubled troops much earlier in the process or holding them back for medical reasons including psychological issues. It comes down to unit leadership. Just like some work places there is a zero tolerance policy and others you can do just about anything.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-fort-carson-murder-spree-20091112

This unit had a vet murder problem. Issues need to be caught early in their development-duh. This unit kept on getting extensions in their tours. Medics started running out sleeping pills including valium which were 'laying' around the barracks. Shorter tours are a start. But this setting makes it's hard for returning vets to adjust in civilian life let alone surviving their time on active duty,
 
I left my "happy-go-lucky" behind when I left for Vietnam. When I came back, the only "happy-go-lucky" I could get was from a bottle. To this day I'm not at all happy-go-lucky but I am thankful for every moment that God gives me.

I quickly lose respect for government leaders who squander the lives of military personnel, I don't want to take this discussion into a political argument so I'll just leave it be...

My solution: make less wounded warriors.
 
BobW by all means volunteer to help vets when you retire. Empathy is the requisite quality here. That you have in spades. Your own battle with alcohol is a plus also. Many professional counselors have no combat experience, but remain effective. In my experience, anguish is a great leveler. Sooner or later, all buses can lead to Hell. Compassion outranks expertise as a vehicle for exiting the pit. It was people such as yourself that pulled me out, not the professionals.
 
35 years ago I took my husband to the VA and told the doctors I wanted to be included in every step of his therapy. To this day, he gets the best treatment and if not, they hear from me. He is a combat wounded, Korean War Veteran, with PTSD, and multiple other ailments. He is Purple Heart recipient. He was an intelligence officer, rose to the rank of Captain. He was involved in the Bay of Pigs invasion, he was Mamie Eisenhower's body guard during the peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland, he chose TDY in Alaska to chill. 20 years is a long time to serve. We take care of each other and are growing old together.
 

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