Veterans Group Urges Members To Help Stop Suicides

[allan]

Veterans group urges members to help stop suicides

Posted on June 04, 2009 by assteditor

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The head of the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization is urging more than 1.6 million veteran members to reach out to other soldiers who may be considering suicide.

Commander in Chief Glen Gardner issued the open letter following the announcement last week that 11 soldiers from Fort Campbell, Ky., committed suicide this year - the highest of any Army post.The Army reached the highest rate of suicides on record last year.

Gardner told The Associated Press on Wednesday that veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to open up to other combat veterans about personal or psychological problems.He asked the members to listen, be sympathetic and take them to professional counseling through the military or the Veterans Affairs.

http://www.veteranstoday.com/article7127.html

[broncovet]

Frankly, it is just like the VSO's and VA to ask other Veterans to assist suicidal Vetrans. IMHO this is a very, very, bad idea. Suicidal Vets should get professional counseling...not another untrained Veteran. That is not just bad, but double bad. If the Veteran does committ suicide, the friend who helped him could feel guilty for not doing more, and even be so stessed about that he also commits suicide. You wouldnt drive a car without adequate instruction, you would not fire weapons you are unfamiliar with, so why would you treat Veterans suicidal ideations without adequate training?

This is not to say you should ignore a fellow Veteran who confides to you that he has suicidal ideations. Instead, you should encourage him/her to seek professional treatment..maybe even drive them to the VA hospital for treatment. If a Veteran told me he was suicidal, I would say something like:

Hey guy, I am driving down to the VA..can I give you a ride? Heck, I need the company, and I will even buy lunch if you can come with me right now.

[purple]

I think the VA is doing this because: (1) they don't know how to handle a suicidal vet (seen it with my own eyes enough lately) and (2) they don't want a vet's blood on their hands....