A hidden toll The Armed Forces' suicide total of 301 for 2009 was the worst year since tracking

[babsbunny]

began

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-military-suicides-16jan16,0,1934043.story

By Lisa Black and Stacy St. Clair Tribune reporters

January 16, 2010

Michelle Bowman knew her little brother was struggling when he returned home from Iraq. He drank more heavily and refused to talk about the "bad things" he had seen in combat, telling her no one would understand.

Still, she thought Timothy Bowman, a member of the Illinois National Guard, had turned a corner the night before Thanksgiving, 2005. The 23-year-old was joking and affectionate during a family party.

Yet by the next morning, he had fatally shot himself in his father's electrical shop in Forreston, about 120 miles west of Chicago.

[w8liftinglady]

1. It IS an awful problem.I wote a ltte on it about a year ago

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/w8liftinglady/81
http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2009...
To the Editor,

As our nation continues involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, the suicide rate among active duty military is rising at an alarming rate. These numbers began drawing attention in 2003, and have increased exponentially since then. There has been little to no reporting on these statistics, yet there are resources for military, veterans and their families that can help. As the mom of a three-time Iraq War veteran, I wish I had known about these resources earlier. I hope that these can help other soldiers, vets and military families work out the darkness that is so hard to bring to light.

U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine has a page dedicated to suicide prevention and resources for families.

www.apgea.army.mil/dhpw/readiness/suicide....

Afterdeployment.org is a mental wellness resource for service members, veterans, and military families.

http://www.afterdeployment.org /

VA’s Suicide Hot Line: The toll-free hot line number is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

The Department of the Navy has a Web site dedicated to sailors and Marines mental health.

http://www.nehc.med.navy.mil/HP/MMH/index....

The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury has a comprehensive page of resources for military, veterans and their families.

http://www.dcoe.health.mil/Resources.aspx

The PTSD Combat Blogspot has links to many blogs and message boards where soldiers and their families can talk to people who have shared their pain.

http://ptsdcombat.blogspot.com/2009/03/sen...

Continue to support your troops when they come home. Direct them to the resources that might help them and their loved ones survive those memories.