By JAJune 24, 2009
 (AFP/File/Madeleine Coorey) |
My therapist hero, now gone on to his just rewards, Albert Ellis, says something like, "You own your life." Meaning, your literal life. Some take this as self-defeating and also often very selfish; but, in a sense, your life is yours, according to Ellis. I doubt that few would subscribe to Dr. Ellis views completely.
Suicide is a hot topic today because of military suicides. In January, for instance, there were more suicides in the military than were killed in war. During April, there were nine suicides at Fort Campbell, home of the famed 101st Airborne Division.
There's a kind of national disturbance with those Americans who care (and not all do) about the rash of suicides with American servicemen. I have discussed it with lots of knowledgeable folks, especially Vets. Our views are all over the map and some truth in all the views. Here are a few:
Larry: "I think it's the kind of soldier we are bringing into the military. As a Marine in Vietnam, we did our jobs and tried to survive until we made it home."
Gary: "All this calling home, emails. I don't know what all that means."
Ed: "All these repetitive tours have to have something to do with it. Just think, three or four times. Family problems, finances, it has got to be tough. And, finally the immature kid says, enough and in a moment of stupidity does himself in."
Ray: "In Vietnam, we would go out on operations for months at a time. Eating c-rats. Some of these guys in Iraq go out on patrol in the morning, come back at night, all the comforts of home."
Michael: "I have a buddy, John, you guys have met him. He's doing work with some folks who are trying to get to the bottom of this. I'm calling him. (Michael calls him and John calls us back and Michael hands the phone to me)."
Jerry: "Good to talk with you, John. What can you tell us or what is your view of what is behind the suicides in the military?"
John: "Very complicated problem. Lots of these GIs are bringing a history of mental illness into the service. And, of course, we don't know that beforehand. There's no mechanism set up to deal with that information. One interesting thing we are discovering is that the Iraqi and Afghanistan vets cannot mix with Vietnam and Korean vets. The experience is to fresh to these guys. Whereas the Vietvets readily talk of their experiences; these guys are not ready to do it."
Jerry: "It took at least ten years after Vietnam before vets talked about it. Maybe it is simply too early."
Sam: "Well, what does that mean?" (this is said later on).
Jerry: "Interpreted, John said that these guys experiences were coming to the forefront because of these psychotropic drugs often and they simply couldn't deal with it."
Maybe what we are looking at is simply no conclusion, not a conclusive one anyway. The military likes to wrap things uplike the Marines: a two day seminar-next case, problem solved. Not going to happen. The culture of the military has changed. The military is smaller, has no draft, and repetitive tours and soldiers less capable of coping.
But I think the military is doing the best it can by having counseling centers and combat stress contingencies. It only makes sense to those of us sitting out here watching what is happening-two wars and all the inherent pressures that go with it. So, what do you have? Suicides among our soldiers as part of the price of war. Sad but true. God help us and bless us.
Jerry
