Bloomberg reported this week on yet another devastating and deadly aspect of the war in Iraq: the U.S. troops, burdened with post-traumatic stress, who commit suicide.
The number of suicides among veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may exceed the combat death toll because of inadequate mental health care, the U.S. government’s top psychiatric researcher said.
Community mental health centers, hobbled by financial limits, haven’t provided enough scientifically sound care, especially in rural areas, said Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He briefed reporters today at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting in Washington.
Insel echoed a Rand Corporation study published last month that found about 20 percent of returning U.S. soldiers have post- traumatic stress disorder or depression, and only half of them receive treatment.
The Rand study (pdf) also found that of the roughly half of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who had PTSD, major depression, or a probable traumatic brain injury and who sought treatment, “just over half received a minimally adequate treatment.” (p. xxii)
Some things in life are hard. But getting the number of vets who get minimally adequate treatment over 50% is not one of them. You train the doctors. If those treatments cost more, you provide the money. You do what you need to do to make sure that when someone walks in the door looking for help, s/he finds it.
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I don’t know which emotion this post stirs up more, anger or sadness.
The sadness is in the fact that the Bush Administration never learned anything from past wars.
Cowboy up!
Health care for veterans is one of the accoutrements of war, particularly of a war “of choice”. This should have been built into the system - finances appropriated in advance as well as the certainty of a VA health care system fully equipped to handle the influx of new injuries - both physical and mental.
Since Chimpy has essentially “gutted” every aspect of this government, it’s not shocking to realize that the VA is understaffed and underfunded. They share the problem with EVERY other agency of this administration.
To not provide follow-up care for our veterans is not only irresponsible of this administration; IT’S DOWNRIGHT CRIMINAL.
They’re traitors to their country if they ever come out and complain about their treatment.
The government gives them two choices: treason or death.
XuYu @ 3:
Steeerike!
And the cowboy goes down swinging.
To go along with this is increased domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse, along with a whole host of other issues those troops have to face.
Another obstacle is the stigma surrounding mental help found in the military. Many people in the military, especially males view going to seek mental help as a weakness and I have seen that first hand. Even a trip to see the Chaplain is suspect. The first thing you hear from the guys in your unit when you get back from seeing the Chaplain is, “Can’t you hack this shit.” that sort of thing. Many guys know they will hear that and will be viewed as weak so they do not seek any help. That to, is part of the problem which, as we see, leads to suicide.
Further proof that the Bush Legacy will be that he is the Worst President of all American Presidents.
Those who voted for him comprise the total of the Moron Factor in America.
Bush is Lower than Buchanan.
xoites (Bitter before Country was Cool) defends Constitution @ 7:
actually xoites I was thinking almost the same thing except it wasn’t quite as nice
forgot to say good morning to bob and you
Let’s face it, anyone admitting they have a mental health issue still faces embarrassment in some societies. Until we treat mental health with the same respect we treat other health problems, many people will stay in the shadows.
I am not in any way excusing the administration for their neglect of the returning soldiers, I am just saying that we need a total attitude change in our country.
I have been one of those people in the shadows and I know how it feels. Thankfully I put my own well being ahead of what society might say about me and I got help. Best thing I ever did too. I discovered that the guilt I felt I had to bear all my life was not my guilt at all and the cause had nothing to do with me. I left that pile of guilty feelings right there in the therapist office and never looked back.
“Insel echoed a Rand Corporation study published last month that found about 20 percent of returning U.S. soldiers have post- traumatic stress disorder or depression, and only half of them receive treatment.”
Numbers are hard to pin down but my understanding is 1.5 million Americans have been to Iraq as a member of the armed forces. So we have 300,000 people with PSTD. 33 Veterans attempt suicide every day and 18 succeed. That is about 6500 a year, which is more than the official death count in Iraq. I say official because apparently the number is much higher than 4,071 because if you have the pleasure of dying after being evacuated from Iraq you don’t count and you don’t get counted.
So the billions of dollars we are throwing down this rat hole is just begining. The misery has just started and there may be no end in sight to any of it.
Good morning all. :)
xoites (Bitter before Country was Cool) defends Constitution @ 14:
And Good Morning right back atcha. :)
Just another reason not to put chickenhawks in charge of an occupation.
According to the Washington Post this morning, Laura Bush sat in for George in yesterday’s press conference. She spoke of America’s concern for the victims of the cyclone, and announced that the U.S. had sent $250,000 dollars in aid. $250,000 dollars, for 22,000 victims - that is about $10 per victim family. The pool of white house reporters could have come up with that amount. I wonder what the taxpayers are paying for Jenna’s wedding?
McCain the Liar @ 16:
Just another reason NOT to have an occupation!
I’d be suicidal too if I participated in such an immoral, genocidal, oil theft transgression.
Good morning. Haven’t had my coffee yet.
Left&Left @ 19:
I don’t want to depress you, but we did.
Joe O. @ 8:
I just want to add something that compounds the stigma problem: Many victims do not seek help because of “Question 21″ which asks if they have ever had any mental health care, and they feel that if they say “yes” their future in the military will be adversely affected. This probolem IS supposedly being addressed , and to the best of my knowledge, that dreaded question is being eradicated from the questionaires (We need followup to ensure that it will be eradicated and not just being articulated)
On top of this sad shit, neither bush or mccain will support the GI bill thats now in congress. To quote someone else, “GODDAMN AMERICA”.
Oh yea, goodmorning everybody….
Jeez, they make it through the hell of Iraq and fight to stay alive, then they come home and do to themselves what the enemy wanted to do to them. Imagine how messed up a person would have to be to do that. How lost they would be, how depressed they must be, to feel there is no other way to cope than to give up trying.
I am curious if many of them leave notes and what those notes say.
xoites (Bitter before Country was Cool) defends Constitution @ 25:
Sorry, here is a link for that.
Wear a flag pin, put a ribbon doodad on your car that’s plenty of support. George W Bush defines evil. Please, wake-up America do the right thing get our kids out of Iraq. Enough with the faux patriotism and trailer trash ethics .
Perhaps congress could stop funding the killing in Iraq and start funding the injured here at home.
That is an embarrassment, that is what that is.
pissed off patricia @ 12:
I agree. To do what you did in this current society required a lot of courage and acceptance of the problem on your part. My father was like that. After Vietnam (he is diagnosed with severe PTSD) it took him years of drinking and eventually wrapping his car around a telephone pole to finally go and at least seek some help. Today, he goes to his psychologist every month and actually seems to like it. He doesn’t shy away from it as he once did.
“Some things in life are hard. But getting the number of vets who get minimally adequate treatment over 50% is not one of them. You train the doctors. If those treatments cost more, you provide the money. You do what you need to do to make sure that when someone walks in the door looking for help, s/he finds it.”
it is hard when all your defense funds are being hooverd off by defense contractors.
Very sad, what Bush and Cheney has
done to our Country.
Good people in Indiana, North Carolina, all across our Country
and everyone in the world, they understand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwI-4PqEaYo
Iraq War Veterans Suicide Epidemic
A young Marine from my county was badly wounded during his second deployment to Iraq. He stopped going to his counseling sessions while staying with his aunt. While there he had a flashback believing his life was in danger. He ran from the house and wasn’t found for 11 days. They found him dead lying 30 feet inside a drainage culvert. It’s a tragic story and his death is just as much a casuality of the war in Iraq even though he didn’t die during combat. It’s another untold story of the horrible mess we have created there.
peace
The only thing more depressing than this is that I just know that the far-right media will use this as some pretext that the people who made the study and those who reported it are “supporting the terrorists”, just as they have every time a fact comes along that contradicts their “war on terror” narrative.
Joel @ 36:
Oh, God i hope so. I would love to see them try that.
And Crazy McWar wants to keep this shit going on while rejecting the G.I. bill.
The right-wing media will never report this, and if they do, It will be because the ‘liberals’ lost faith in the war. Never mind the majoritiy feels this war is a mistake. Never mind many Americans believe our economic downfall is because of the war. My, they love to deny the truth!
Alabama Paper Reports Yet Another Iraq Vet Suicide — With Mother Watching
By Greg Mitchell
Published: May 06, 2008 9:30 PM ET updated Tuesday
NEW YORK As the scandal of suicide attempts by Iraq veterans expands — in the face of Veterans Administration denials — another horrific case has emerged, once again only gaining attention because of a local newspaper. E&P has been tracking these accounts for almost five years and only recently has the problem, with an estimated 1,000 attempts a month now reported, gained wide media, and official, attention.
The latest story came Saturday in a story by Patrick McCreless in The Cullman Times of Cullman, Ala.
The headline is similar to so many others lately: “Family pushing for changes after soldier’s suicide.”
It tells how one Dorothy Screws “witnessed her only son, U.S. Army Pvt. Tommie Edward Jones, commit suicide right before her eyes six weeks ago in Colorado. She says the Army, which promised to be there for Screws and her family to deal with the loss, has yet to provide assistance.
“Now Screws can hardly do her job without breaking down. Just the simple act of living is a challenge.
“Only the memory of her son keeps Screws going as she fights to ensure another parent does not have to live through the same tragedy. ‘I can’t save my son now … I want to save somebody,’ Screws said with tears in her eyes. ‘If I can save one soldier, it will be worth it.’
“Screws plans to petition the government for as long as it takes until a law is passed requiring soldiers to undergo some type of psychological therapy after they return from intense combat.”
Her son was 27 when he died.
An excerpt follows. The whole article is still posted at http://www.cullmantimes.com
Orwell rolls in his grave. Faux producer said, “If it’s not seen in the news, is it news?”
http://video.google.com/videop.....9515892401
Webb is still waiting for the great veteran mcain’t to suport the new GI bill.
Left&Left @ 38:
and the millionaires in the press lick his shoesoles.
From what I have read about this war and what is and has been going on over there, I would be suspicious of anyone coming home who did not have some residual mental problems to some degree.
Ron @ 41:
By the way, Ron i did get to see that.
The right will say the soldiers are killing themselves because they came home to a public that did not support them or the war. They’ll say the soldiers were made to feel they had fought and their buddies had died in vain.
Just another fine example of how much the neo-turds really care about the troops, Everyone who is not in the top 1% of the ruling class matters not. We are only here to serve them,no more,no less. The sooner we face this fact, the better things will be for us. because we can not wake the stupid, I think we should just go along and not cause any trouble for our wise rulers. After all they do have most of the money and we all know that “money trumps peace”, in most cases. I am going to contact homeland SS today to start paving a soft road for myself and family by telling on everyone I know who might be a problem later on. If everyone on this blog would kindly send me your home address and e-mail I can get started today to line my pockets and pave my way. I sure am sorry about this but after all I have to look out for number 1, right? I mean I don’t want to sound like a bad person but after all ,my family are better than all of yours and deserve better than everyone else. I mean you would not want someone in my family to be hurt or killed in some war would you? Just look at the words in my comment,look at the words….obey…obey….sleep…sleep…consume…obey…sleep. Gee I hope this does not seem like treason or a sell out… its just the ol me me me me thing……..CEO
xoites (Bitter before Country was Cool) defends Constitution @ 45: