Resources: Veteran Mental Health
FYI: Warning Signs And Where Those At Risk Can Get Help
NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2007

(CBS) CBS News this week reported the findings of a five-month
investigation into veteran suicides.

The results were startling: according to data from 45 states, 6,256 men
and women who had served in the armed forces took their own lives in
2005 - that’s 120 suicides every week. Chief investigative correspondent
Armen Keteyian and his investigative team found that veterans were more
than twice as likely to commit suicide that year than non-veterans.

During the course of the investigation, the investigative team compiled
a list of resources for how to find help and recognize the warning signs
of mental health issues that could also be warning signs for suicide.

How to Spot Warning Signs

The Department of Veterans Affairs <http://www.va.gov>  provides the
following warning signs.

•  Talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself

•  Trying to get pills, guns, or other ways to harm oneself

•  Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide

•  Hopelessness

•  Rage, uncontrolled anger, seeking revenge

•  Acting in a reckless or risky way

•  Feeling trapped, like there’s no way out

•  Saying or feeling there’s no reason for living

For more on mental health services at the Dept of Veterans Affairs,
click here <http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov>  or call the VA’s suicide
hotline at 800.273.TALK (8255).
Suicide Signs Unique to Vets

Experts on suicide prevention say for veterans there are some particular
signs to watch for.

•  Calling old friends, particularly military friends, to say goodbye

•  Cleaning a weapon that they may have as a souvenir

•  Visits to graveyards

•  Obsessed with news coverage of the war, the military channel

•  Wearing their uniform or part of their uniform, boots, etc

•  Talking about how honorable it is to be a soldier

•  Sleeping more (sometimes the decision to commit suicide brings a
sense of peace of mind, and they sleep more to withdraw)

•  Becoming overprotective of children

•  Standing guard of the house, perhaps while everyone is asleep staying
up to “watch over” the house, obsessively locking doors, windows

•  If they are on medication, stopping medication and/or hording
medication

•  Hording alcohol — not necessarily hard alcohol, could be wine

•  Spending spree, buying gifts for family members and friends “to
remember by”

•  Defensive speech “you wouldn’t understand,” etc.

•  Stop making eye contact or speaking with others

For a wallet-size card titled “What to do you if you think someone is
having suicidal thoughts,” click here.
<http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/media/pdf/NSPL_WalletCard_Asse
ssingRisk_GREEN.pdf>
Where to Get Help

Hotline for Veterans
Veterans who need help immediate counseling should call the hotline run
by Veterans Affairs professionals at 1-800-273-TALK and press 1
identifying themselves as military veterans. Staff members are specially
trained to take calls from military veterans and its staffed 24 hours a
day, everyday. While all operators are trained to help veterans, some
are also former military.

Clinical Care
To find the closest Dept of Veterans Affairs facility to you that has
mental health professionals, go to this Web site
<http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp?isFlash=1>  and type in
your zip code.

Veterans Affairs Health Benefits

•  Read more about
<http://www.vba.va.gov/benefit_facts/General/English/VAP21-00-12%20Janua
ry%202006.pdf>  what benefits are available to veterans.

•  To find out more about what kind of services returning service
members qualify for, check out this summary
<http://www1.va.gov/OPA/fact/returning_vets.asp>  at the Department of
Veterans Affairs <http://www.va.gov> .
What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?

According to the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
<http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/ncdocs/fact_shts/fs_what_is_ptsd.html>
, “PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been
through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and
scary that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event,
you think that your life or others’ lives are in danger. You may feel
afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening.”

Those who have experienced a life-threatening event can develop PTSD.
These can include:

•  Combat or military exposure

•  Child sexual or physical abuse

•  Terrorist attacks

•  Sexual or physical assault

•  Serious accidents, such as a car wreck.

•  Natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or
earthquake.

For those who have PTSD, there are generally four types of symptoms:

•  Reliving the event

•  Avoiding situations that remind you of the event

•  Feeling numb

•  Feeling keyed up — on alert and on the lookout for danger

The National Center for PTSD offers this information in a tipsheet, and
notes: “after the event, you may feel scared, confused, and angry. If
these feelings don’t go away or they get worse, you may have PTSD. These
symptoms may disrupt your life, making it hard to continue with your
daily activities.”

Related Links
• The National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress
<http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/> , special center within Veterans Affairs,
has more information.

• Click here
<http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/facts/veterans/fs_resources_for_vets.html>
for resources for U.S. service members returning from deployment.

• Click here
<http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/facts/veterans/fs_help_for_vets.html>  for
help for veterans with PTSD.
Air Force Suicide Prevention Program <http://afspp.afms.mil> 

• Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine
<http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/dhpw/Readiness/suicide.aspx> 
410.671.4656

• Navy Environmental Health Center’s Suicide Prevention site
<http://www-nehc.med.navy.mil/hp/suicide> 
757.953.0959

• Marine Corps Suicide Prevention Program
<http://www.usmc-mccs.org/LeadersGuide/Emotional/Suicide/generalinfo.cfm
> 

• National Center for PTSD <http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/index.jsp> 
802.296.6300

• Suicide Prevention Action Network USA <http://www.spanusa.org> 
Phone: 202.449.3600
Fax: 202.449.3601
E-mail: info@spanusa.org

• Nonprofit group Give An Hour
<http://giveanhour.org/cms/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1> 

• SAMHSA’s National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
<http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org> 
800.273.8255
TTY: 800.799.4889
Recent Legislation to Prevent Veteran Suicide

On November 6, 2007, President Bush signed into law the Joshua Omvig
Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.00327:> . It’s named
after a soldier who committed suicide in Grundy County, Iowa, in
December 2005, after serving an 11-month tour in Iraq. The bill requires
the Department of Veteran’s Affairs to meet deadlines in providing the
following services:

•  Train VA staff on suicide prevention and mental health care

•  Staff each VA medical facility with a suicide prevention counselor

•  Screen soldiers who seek care through the VA for mental health needs

•  Support outreach and education for veterans and their families

•  Research the most effective strategies for suicide prevention

•  Create a peer support counseling program so veterans can help other
veterans

However, while the bill requires the VA to provide these services, it
provides no new funding.

________________________________
By Laura Strickler with reporting from Sarah Fitzpatrick in Washington.
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