Vet’s and Suicide

Veterans/National Suicide Prevention Hot-line 1-800-273-8255.

TTY Suicide Hot-line: 1-800-799-4889.

The Veterans suicide hot-line is the national suicide hotline. I called the number to make sure the Vets had specialized people to help them and they do. When you call the number you will get a recording. The voice loop separates languages and Vets. So, the national suicide hot-line has grown to meet the special needs of the Vets, once they return home.

PTSD, depression, and other anxiety disorders are at an all time high with Vets. As I have said before in other articles, this is a war like no other and brings with it, unique problems. PTSD, a debilitating condition, was first brought to public attention by war veterans. The essential feature of PTSD is the development of symptoms following an exposure to an extreme traumatic event. The exposure to the event can be either witnessed and/or directed at the person.Examples of traumatic events are car, jet, and train crashes, rape, incest, assault, torture, war crimes, kidnapping, learning about an unexpected or violent death, natural disasters, and terrorism. The list goes on and on. 

What ever the source of the problem, some people relive the trauma in the form of intrusive recollections, once, or several times a day. Ordinary events of the day can serve as reminders of the trauma and can trigger a flashback of the horrific event. The person can be reminded of the event in a variety of ways, such as: a smell, a taste, a sight, a sound, and by a sensation. A flashback can cause a significant amount of psychological and sometimes, physical pain and distress.  Many people affected with this disorder have trouble sleeping due to nightmares. The lack of sleep is accumulative. A person can become irritable, experience psychosis, and possibly participate in violence because of the loss of sleep, which only compounds the initial problem.  Stimulus that is associated with the traumatic event is persistently avoided by the affected individual. The person will make a conscience effort to avoid thoughts, feelings, and conversations about the event. The avoidance behavior can interfere with relationships. This may cause marital problems, divorce, and loss of a job. 

The symptoms usually appear within 3 months after the traumatic event and lasting more than a month. Sometimes the symptoms will disappear within 6 months but, others may have the symptoms for the rest of their lives. In other cases, the symptoms will show up several years after the event.  According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders the associated features to this disorder are: self destructive and impulsive behavior,  increased startle response, outbursts of anger, little future orientation, somatic complaints, feeling ineffective, shame, despair, hopelessness, the loss of previously sustained beliefs, hostility, and social withdraw, and feeling constantly threatened.  

PTSD is associated with increased rates of depression, suicide, substance abuse, panic disorder, social phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other anxiety disorders. The physical body is very commonly, in a constant state of high anxiety or arousal. An increased heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature are examples of this. The intrusive thoughts can come fast and furious. It then becomes very difficult to concentrate. The possibility for general medical conditions to present is not uncommon. PTSD, is to say the very least, extremely uncomfortable and can take away your life as you remember it before the experienced trauma. 

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, also known as the DSM IV (the diagnostic book psychiatrists use), defines depression as a mood disorder. A psychiatrist will listen to your story, observe your symptoms, and begin to assimilate the information to make a diagnosis by using his/her experience, the DSM 1V, and other references. There are several diagnoses related to depression. You will have to meet certain criteria to be diagnosed with depression. The criteria includes, but limited to: your presenting problem and symptoms, your psychiatric, social, and medical history, your family history (social, psychiatric, medical), what meds have been tried in the past, what meds are you are on now, including self medication with alcohol and other substances, any suicide attempts, the frequency of psychiatric hospitalizations, and how many times you have been depressed and why.

Signs and symptoms of Depression:  

   Lack of physical energy.

  Lack of psychological energy.

  Increased or decreased appetite.                  

  Increased or decreased hours of daily sleep.

  Unstoppable tears.

 Poor concentration.

 Poor memory.

 Lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities.

 Increased internal and external irritability.

 Increased feeling of restlessness.

  Somatic features such as: chronic pain, stomach aches, headaches, etc.

  Pushing loved ones away.

 The desire to be left alone.

 Planning suicide.

Giving treasured tangible items away

Suicide. 

This “mood disorder” takes over your entire life. A person affected with depression is unable to ‘just snap out of it.’ This disorder is complicated because it affects the mind and body. Both issues need to be addressed vigorously to avoid death. 

Mortality:  15% OF PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM AN UNTREATED MAJOR DEPRESSION MAY END THEIR LIVES BY SUICIDE. 

Some causes for depression/suicide are as follows.

Chronic physical illness including exposure to environmental toxins.

Chronic pain.

Family discord.

Loss of income, home, family and friends. 

Chemical changes in the brain and body.

Lack of support from key people in your life including the community.

 Growing up in an abusive home.

Feeling trapped in an abusive adult relationship.

Possible genetic factors and biological vulnerabilities.

Traumatic experience.

Age. Teens and seniors are at high risk for ending their life.

History of chronic mental illness.

Body disfigurement and dysfunction.

Family history of people who have committed suicide.

Single parent homes.

Personality disorders such as anti-social, borderline, and dependent personality, and so on.

Previous suicide attempts.

Eating disorders.

Sexual abuse.

Physical abuse.

Limited coping skills for various reasons.

Women try to commit suicide more times than their male counterparts using less lethal means. Men are more efficient; they usually get the job done the first time around.

Postpartum period in child bearing years.

History of gambling.

Alcohol and drug abuse.

Chronic financial problems and how this correlates with societal unemployment rate.

 Loss of a close loved one or loss of anything loved.

 Newly incarcerated individual.

Humiliation.

Impulsive or violent traits.

Climate extremes, light/dark cycle.

Isolation.

The list can go on and on………. 

Your situation and symptoms are unique to you. If your depression lasts more than a week and/or if you experience intrusive thoughts, such as ruminating on how to kill yourself, SEEK HELP IMMEDIATELY!A depressed person who is isolated is in very bad company. Contact another human being even if it is the Suicide Hot-line. Just the act of talking about your situation and having another person understand your pain provides some relief and hope.

How to know how lethal a suicidal person is, the depressed/suicidal person has to have a plan, the means, the availability of the means, and intent to carry out the plan.  An example of this is, a man gets fired from his job. He just found out he has terminal cancer and now will have no medical insurance. He knows his illness will be a burden to his family. His life insurance is still active until the end of the month. He thinks of a plan. “I will shoot myself in the garage today; nobody will be home for hours.” He takes his gun, walks to the garage and shoots himself. His plan was to shoot himself. The means was the gun. The intent was to kill himself so that, he would not be a burden to his family. He also killed himself with no provision of rescue. “Nobody will be home for hours.” Which means he was ultra-lethal.

Here are some guidelines to help a suicidal person.

 Ask the person if he/she is suicidal. Never beat around the bush with this question. Straight forward, clear communication is best here. If someone had asked the man in the above example he may have lived.

  If the answer is yes, ask “How do you plan to go about it?”

 Ask or evaluate if the person has access to a gun/rope/bridge/car/poisons/etc.

Watch for future orientation. A person can not be authentically suicidal and future oriented at the same time.

Ask the person who is in pain if they want help.

If he/she does not want help and they have a lethal plan, and he/she intends to carry out their threat of suicide call the police or sheriff. The police will transport the suicidal person to a treatment facility for safety. In America the police or sheriff can place the suicidal person on a writ of habeas corpus, which means he/she will be transported against their will.

If medication is started for depression; watch that person very carefully. The anti-depressant medication can give the suicidal person the energy to carry out their plan.This concept goes twice for teenagers because of their impulsively, limited life experience, and how their bodies adapt or don’t adapt to the medicine.

Always take all suicidal threats seriously. Period.

Help the suicidal person until they can take over. You will not be wasting your time.

Finding relief from your symptoms will take some effort on your part, but keep in mind you are worth the extra effort.  Once diagnosed, read every thing you can find on the subject, ask questions, talk with your doctor about medication therapy, and most importantly be easy on yourself.  Experiencing traumatic events can change everything you know to be true. Just allow yourself to be.  And please, if you feel suicidal call the suicide hot-line or visit your ER. Reach out and allow another person to help you. 

Tags: balance, live, suicide help