Military Suicides Remain High for Last 7 Years

[Weatherman2020]

What could have happened 7 years ago?

U.S. military suicides remain high for 7th year

 

[EverCurious]

They got injured, then the government fucked up their medical care. Sadly, a lot of our boys believe that by committing suicide they are actually /helping/ their family >.< Perhaps worse though, are those vets who have no hope left that they will /ever/ get the medical care they need to have a pain free life

 

[aris2chat]

Israel uses cannabis for PTSD and brain injuries of their soldiers.
They begin in the field to treat.

 

[TheOldSchool]

What could have happened 7 years ago?

U.S. military suicides remain high for 7th year

The deceptive, partisan article would have you believe military suicides only been going up for 7 years.

Maybe Obama hasn't sent enough of our soldiers to die like his predecessor? Or maybe the wars started by his predecessor had a negative impact on the survivors?

 

[EverCurious]

Do you have a chart for the rate of Veteran Suicides under Obama?

 

[TheOldSchool]

Do you have a chart for the rate of Veteran Suicides under Obama?

Veterans of what wars? Dubya's?

 

[Weatherman2020]

What could have happened 7 years ago?

U.S. military suicides remain high for 7th year

The deceptive, partisan article would have you believe military suicides only been going up for 7 years.

Maybe Obama hasn't sent enough of our soldiers to die like his predecessor? Or maybe the wars started by his predecessor had a negative impact on the survivors?

Thanks for the graph. Clearly shows the spike and continued increase in suicides since Obama became CoC.

 

[TheOldSchool]

What could have happened 7 years ago?

U.S. military suicides remain high for 7th year

The deceptive, partisan article would have you believe military suicides only been going up for 7 years.

Maybe Obama hasn't sent enough of our soldiers to die like his predecessor? Or maybe the wars started by his predecessor had a negative impact on the survivors?

Thanks for the graph. Clearly shows the spike and continued increase in suicides since Obama became CoC.

Huge spike since the beginning of Dubya's wars that the GOP wishes were still ongoing.

 

[Weatherman2020]

What could have happened 7 years ago?

U.S. military suicides remain high for 7th year

The deceptive, partisan article would have you believe military suicides only been going up for 7 years.

Maybe Obama hasn't sent enough of our soldiers to die like his predecessor? Or maybe the wars started by his predecessor had a negative impact on the survivors?

Thanks for the graph. Clearly shows the spike and continued increase in suicides since Obama became CoC.

Huge spike since the beginning of Dubya's wars that the GOP wishes were still ongoing.

 

[The Great Goose]

Israel uses cannabis for PTSD and brain injuries of their soldiers.
They begin in the field to treat.

I think cannabis would exacerbate PTSD

 

[TheOldSchool]

What could have happened 7 years ago?

U.S. military suicides remain high for 7th year

The deceptive, partisan article would have you believe military suicides only been going up for 7 years.

Maybe Obama hasn't sent enough of our soldiers to die like his predecessor? Or maybe the wars started by his predecessor had a negative impact on the survivors?

Thanks for the graph. Clearly shows the spike and continued increase in suicides since Obama became CoC.

Huge spike since the beginning of Dubya's wars that the GOP wishes were still ongoing.

View attachment 69911

Oh so they've been going up since 2000, and were at their highest after Dubya's wars just like any sane person would expect them to be. Thanks for the confirmation bud

Did you vote for Dubya twice? I hope you're donating to and volunteering at the VA for what you put our soldiers through.

 

[Weatherman2020]

What could have happened 7 years ago?

U.S. military suicides remain high for 7th year

The deceptive, partisan article would have you believe military suicides only been going up for 7 years.

Maybe Obama hasn't sent enough of our soldiers to die like his predecessor? Or maybe the wars started by his predecessor had a negative impact on the survivors?

Thanks for the graph. Clearly shows the spike and continued increase in suicides since Obama became CoC.

Huge spike since the beginning of Dubya's wars that the GOP wishes were still ongoing.

View attachment 69911

Oh so they've been going up since 2000, and were at their highest after Dubya's wars just like any sane person would expect them to be. Thanks for the confirmation bud

Did you vote for Dubya twice? I hope you're donating to and volunteering at the VA for what you put our soldiers through.

Last 7 years much higher, despite a smaller military.
Praise be Imam Obama.

 

[TheOldSchool]

The deceptive, partisan article would have you believe military suicides only been going up for 7 years.

Maybe Obama hasn't sent enough of our soldiers to die like his predecessor? Or maybe the wars started by his predecessor had a negative impact on the survivors?

Thanks for the graph. Clearly shows the spike and continued increase in suicides since Obama became CoC.

Huge spike since the beginning of Dubya's wars that the GOP wishes were still ongoing.

View attachment 69911

Oh so they've been going up since 2000, and were at their highest after Dubya's wars just like any sane person would expect them to be. Thanks for the confirmation bud

Did you vote for Dubya twice? I hope you're donating to and volunteering at the VA for what you put our soldiers through.

Last 7 years much higher, despite a smaller military.
Praise be Imam Obama.

Expect them to go down over the next several years as Dubya's wars become a distant memory. I know you'll be disappointed about it.

 

[Blackrook]

The solution is to give veterans the same cushy health benefits that the Congress and the President enjoy.

 

[aris2chat]

Israel uses cannabis for PTSD and brain injuries of their soldiers.
They begin in the field to treat.

I think cannabis would exacerbate PTSD

General use of cannabis for PTSD Symptoms | VMCA
veteransformedicalmarijuana.org/.../general-use-cannabis-ptsd-symptoms
You can help the VMMA right now by registering with this website and choosing ... Dr. Mechoulam is the Israeli scientist who identified THC as the psychoactive ...
Marijuana May Hold Promise As Treatment For PTSD
www.huffingtonpost.com/.../cannabis-ptsd_n_6199...
The Huffington Post
Nov 22, 2014 - While cannabinoids occur naturally in the cannabis plant, this research ... that marijuana may help PTSD symptoms, which can include anxiety, ...
THC And Fear: How Marijuana May Help PTSD Patients ...
www.medicaldaily.com/thc-and-fear-how-marijuana-may-help-ptsd-pati...
Dec 27, 2013 - THC And Fear: How Marijuana May Help PTSD Patients Reduce Anxiety ... mental illnesses that had to do with fear and anxiety — like PTSD.
Marijuana may help PTSD. Why won't the government find out
Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis...marijuana/.../gIQA...
The Washington Post
Oct 14, 2011 - Yet the DEA administrator did not reclassify marijuana. Since that time, the agency has denied two other rescheduling petitions, most recently in ...

 

[Blackrook]

I thought marijuana made people more paranoid.

Cannabis really can trigger paranoia

But that's ok, aris, don't let science get in the way of your pro-doper enthusiasm.

 

[The Great Goose]

I thought marijuana made people more paranoid.

Cannabis really can trigger paranoia

But that's ok, aris, don't let science get in the way of your pro-doper enthusiasm.

YeS! Its called "greening out".

Didn't the Scarecrow use it in Batman?

 

[Katzndogz]

The incidence of drug use goes up and there is a rise in suicides. It's perfectly explainable.

 

[EverCurious]

I am not surprised to see a spike since Obama came in - it's not necessarily his fault, nor the fault of wars specifically though. It's more a matter that Obama (and really all the D's) have shown zero inclination to actually fix the problems in the VA, Obama's reelection merely bolstered that feeling of helplessness and depression - I'm sure ACA didn't help much either. I suspect that as more and more doctors and hospitals refuse to accept ACA in 2017 we will continue to see a rise in suicide.

It should be morbidly interesting to watch the effects of this years election on these rates. Hillary will leave ACA in place and is unlikely to do anything to resolve VA failures so I would expect a continued rise as ACA costs increase while refused acceptance goes up. Trump would seek to dismantle ACA and has intentions to at least attempt to fix VA flaws so I would expect to see a decrease (at least temporarily, a longer decreasing trend would depend on if a Trump administration was able to fix the mess or not.) I suspect Cruz would fall into a similar pattern as Hilary, his general "greasiness" kind of wipes out any hope on ACA repeal and VA improvement. A Sander's election would be the most curious, on the one hand he's supposedly offering insurance at a cheaper cost (which could mitigate military families draining their kids inheritance,) on the other hand you've got a Socialist in control which I suspect most military will find offensive to all that they fought for; it could be a study in optimism vs pessimism.

 

[waltky]

More Must Be Done to Reduce Vet Suicides...

Senators: More Must Be Done to Reduce Vet Suicides
28 Sep 2017 | WASHINGTON -- A boost in medical providers and resources, greater awareness of mental illness within the military and improving the treatment of exiting service members could help combat a disturbing trend of increased suicides among veterans, lawmakers said Wednesday.

A detailed government report released earlier this month showed suicide risk is 22 percent higher among veterans compared to civilians. For female veterans, that risk was 2.5 times higher, while for male veterans the rate was 19 percent higher, according to a report released Sept. 15 by the Department of Veterans Affairs. These findings, and others, show Congress and the VA must step up with new efforts to address the national epidemic, lawmakers and government officials said during a Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs hearing held in the wake of the agency report. "More needs to be done," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. "And more steps need to be taken to address suicide trends among veterans. ...What I am hearing again and again and again is the rates are increasing among vets who lack access." The report, which broke down veteran suicide statistics by state, age and gender, presented the VA's most detailed breakdown yet on the national epidemic facing former service members.

The report found suicide among veterans is even higher in Western states and rural areas, including the states of Montana, Nevada, Utah and New Mexico. "We need to figure this out," Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., said during Wednesday's hearing. The report also showed, on average, 20 veterans commit suicide a day. More so, the vast majority of them, 14, were not enrolled in critical medical care. "We cannot help those we do not see," VA Secretary David Shulkin told the committee. Shulkin and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., agreed the VA must do a better job of outreach to vulnerable veterans. Shulkin said there's a gap between the VA and the Department of Defense when it comes to addressing treatment for exiting service members. Craig Bryan, executive director for the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah, said about 70 percent of veterans who have attempted suicide were already diagnosed with a mental illness.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., asks a question concerning suicide data during a Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington​

Tester said more funding is needed to address the concerns. "We need to do a better job of outreach," he said. "It's going to cost money to get health professionals on the ground in urban and rural areas." The VA is also facing challenges filling a long list of openings, from high-ranking officials to mental health professionals. Shulkin said the agency needs 1,000 such professionals "now." Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., told Shulkin that he's concerned the agency hasn't been filling its mental health professional openings fast enough. "That is unacceptable," Shulkin said. "We will do better. That just is not the way I want the department run." Blumenthal also expressed concern that suicides can be a worsening issue for those veterans who have been dishonorably discharged, especially among veterans suffering from mental illness. Veterans who have been dishonorably discharged can "feel stigmatized," he said. "It is a vicious cycle. A lethal cycle that can lead to suicide."

Lawmakers suggested more can be done to address mental illness among service members exiting the military. "For the military, the easy thing is to toss someone out who has behavioral problems," Tester said. The VA report examined the veteran suicide trends in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico from 1979 to 2014. The report also found the suicide rate among middle-aged and older veterans remains high. For example, 65 percent of veteran suicides in 2014 involved people age 50 and older. Officials have said they hope the report will be used to develop and evaluate suicide prevention programs across the United States and gain insight into high-risk populations. Shulkin has said the report's findings were "deeply concerning," and has made suicide prevention his top clinical priority. He has said he is committed to reducing the suicides through support and education. "This is a national public health issue that requires a concerted, national approach," Shulkin said in the Sept. 15 release of the report. During his testimony, he also highlighted a hotline for veterans in crisis. Veterans needing such help can call 800-273-8255, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Senators: More Must Be Done to Reduce Vet Suicides | Military.com