The three-day stand down will commence Wednesday, May 27 with three Brigade-plus sized formations where Townsend will personally address every Soldier assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The formations will be held at 7, 8 and 9 a.m. at various locations on Fort Campbell.

The purpose of the division-wide Suicide Prevention Stand-Down is to provide focused time, free from the competing routines of unit life, to allow leaders and Soldiers to focus on arresting the rate of suicides and suicidal behaviors on Fort Campbell. This will be accomplished by continuing a broad campaign which began in March and by placing renewed energy and emphasis into several key tasks.

Senior leaders were tasked with reviewing and updating lists of Soldiers most at risk for suicide and to focus on those Soldiers; reminding Soldiers that leaders care and are available and ensuring leaders and Soldiers at all levels are aware of the programs in place to offer assistance to Soldiers and Families.

Fort Campbell Soldiers and Families are encouraged to seek appropriate assistance. Free, confidential help is available 24/7 by calling Military One Source at 1-800-342-9647, or online at www.militaryonesource.com.

A complete list of crisis assistance programs is also available through the Fort Campbell website at http://www.campbell.army.mil/crisis/index.html

Suicide.  Self-inflicted death. The pain that drives an individual to commit suicide is mirrored by the pain experienced by those left behind to mourn.

In the past year, suicide has touched a number of families and individuals in our community. Two newly married men.  A high school boy. A college student. A friend. We react with shock that spirals into grief punctuated by a simple question: Why? And “was there something we could have done? Or noticed?”

Suicide is on the rise, both in the military and within our communities. By a margin of 2-1, it outstrips homicide as a cause of death in the United States, and is the 11th ranked cause of death in the United States. Statistically, more men actually succeed in killing themselves, while more women attempt suicide but do not die, in part because  men typically use more violent means (guns, hanging) to end their lives than women, who often use failure-prone methods such as overdosing.

Suicide may occur for a number of reasons, including depression, shame, guilt, desperation, physical pain, emotional pressure, anxiety, financial difficulties, or other undesirable situations. The World Health Organization noted that over one million people commit suicide every year, and that it is one of the leading causes of death among teenagers and adults under 35. There are an estimated 10 to 20 million non-fatal attempted suicides every year worldwide. It is estimated that each suicide in the United States leaves an average of six people intimately affected by the death, either as a spouse, parent, significant other, sibling, or child of the deceased person. These people are referred to as survivors.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The predominant view of modern medicine is that suicide is a mental health concern, associated with psychological factors such as the difficulty of coping with depression, inescapable suffering or fear, or other mental disorders and pressures. Suicide is sometimes interpreted as a “cry for help” and attention, or to express despair and the wish to escape, rather than a genuine intent to die. Most people who attempt suicide do not complete suicide on a first attempt; those who later gain a history of repetitions have a significantly higher probability of eventual completion of suicide.

Common Suicide Risk Indicators

• A previous suicide attempt, even if it seemed staged or designed to get attention, or boasts of past or secret suicide attempts.
• Talking about being dead or wishing they were dead, how others would be happier if he/she were dead or how much better off others will be when he/she is gone.
• Repeatedly engaging in very risky or dangerous thrill seeking behavior.
• “Getting the house in order” – making plans for the care of loved siblings, parents, relatives or pets and giving away cherished belongings to close friends.
• Extreme mood swings; very depressed episodes followed by happy episodes with no clear reason for the change.
• Regular expressions of worthlessness, helplessness, sadness and/or loneliness.
• Drastic changes in habits, friends, or appearance, ie: new friends, skipping school, dropping out of favorite activities, and no longer caring about appearance or cleanliness.
• Changes in weight, sleeping habits, and physical activity.

A risk-assessment quiz designed for teenagers is available online.

When someone dies by suicide the people left behind can wrestle with a terrible emotional pain. Teens who have had a recent loss or crisis or who had a family member or classmate who committed suicide may be especially vulnerable to suicidal thinking and behavior themselves.

If you’ve been close to someone who has attempted or committed suicide, it can help to talk with a therapist or counselor — someone who is trained in dealing with this complex issue. Or, you could join a group for survivors where you can share your feelings and get the support of people who have been in the same situation as you.

What if this is you?

If you have been thinking about suicide, get help now. Depression is powerful. You can’t wait and hope that your mood might improve. When a person has been feeling down for a long time, it’s hard to step back and be objective.

Talk to someone you trust as soon as you can. If you can’t talk to a parent or a friend, talk to a coach, a relative, a school counselor, a religious leader, or a teacher. Call a suicide crisis line (such as 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-999-9999) or your local emergency number (911). These toll-free lines are staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by trained professionals who can help you without ever knowing your name or seeing your face. All calls are confidential — no one you know will find out that you’ve called.

What if this is someone you know?

It is always a good thing to start a conversation with someone you think may be considering suicide. It allows you to get help for the person, and just talking about it may help the person to feel less alone and more cared about and understood.

Talking things through may also give the person an opportunity to consider other solutions to problems. Most of the time, people who are considering suicide are willing to talk if someone asks them out of concern and care. Because people who are depressed are not as able to see answers as well as others, it can help to have someone work with them in coming up with at least one other way out of a bad situation.

Even if a friend or classmate swears you to secrecy, you must get help as soon as possible — your friend’s life could depend on it. Someone who is seriously thinking about suicide may have sunk so deeply into an emotional hole that the person could be unable to recognize that he or she needs help.

Trauma, PTSD, and Suicide

In a survey of 5,877 people across the United States, it was found that people who had experienced physical or sexual assault at some point in their life also had a high likelihood of attempting to take their own life at some point:

• Nearly 22% of people who had been raped had also attempted suicide at some point in their life.
• Approximately 23% of people who had experienced a physical assault had also attempted suicide at some point in their life.

These rates of suicide attempts increased considerably among people who had experienced multiple incidents of sexual (42.9%) or physical assault (73.5%). They also found that a history of sexual molestation, physical abuse as a child, and neglect as a child were associated with high rates of suicide attempts (17.4% to 23.9%)

People with a diagnosis of PTSD are also at greater risk to attempt suicide. Among people who have had a diagnosis of PTSD at some point in their lifetime, approximately 27% have also attempted suicide.

Suicide has also become an item of serious concern within the military, which has recorded epidemic levels of suicide in the past year. The stress of repeated deployments  on both military personnel and their families has triggered a surge of emotional/psychiatric issues, including surges in both suicide and domestic violence. The surge in numbers has  forced the Pentagon to focus more intently on suicide prevention among its personnel.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source Material:

• TeensHealth: The Nemours Foundation
• World Health Organization
• SAVE: Suicide Awareness Voices of  Education
• Suicide.com
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• National Institute of Mental Health

Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in people of all ages. Also, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the average rate of suicides in the United States is 89 per day. This equals roughly one suicide every 16 minutes. In 2005, eight percent of U.S. high school students had reported at least one attempt at suicide at some point in the previous 12 months. The rate of U.S. high school students reporting that they seriously considered a suicide attempt in the last year was 16.9%. Also, males commit suicide at almost four times the rate that females commit suicide. In four out of every five cases, there are warning signs against possible suicide.

When the news of a loved one is given, the survivor goes through an emotional rollercoaster that never seems to stop. Grief, blame, anger, confusion, shame, relief, abandonment, despair, and betrayal are common emotions felt by survivors of suicide. They may feel angry at the person who has taken their life and feel as though they were not considering how it would affect others. They also may be confused by why that person felt there was no alternative. They may also face perceived stigma or shame at what others will think of the suicide.

The grieving process varies from person to person, and some stages may take longer than others. The grieving process may go away and resurface again later. For suicide survivors living life after their loss is never easy. Common phrases from friends and family such as “I’d kill myself before wearing that outfit!” or “I wish I were dead.” can feel like a slap in the face at what that person has just experienced. Survivors should understand that those phrases are often uttered without much thought and are not intended to be hurtful.

I lost one of my closest friends, Temple Kirkpatrick Smith Jr. on March 1^st, 2008. He was an all around great guy. He was pursuing a degree in science at Middle Tennessee State University on scholarships he had earned during High School just 2 years previously; he had just bought a house, had a great job, did volunteer work, had plenty of friends, worked as a youth minister in his church, and had a fantastic family. Kirk and I went to High School together, and we shared a lot of great memories. He had everything going for him, but somehow something made him take his own life. This revelation turned my sense of reality upside down. I knew it couldn’t be true; Kirk wasn’t depressed and didn’t exhibit any outward warning signs that are often associated with suicide.

On March 1^st, around 10:30am Kirk called one of his friends and made plans to spend time together the next day playing video games. Sometime around 11:45 a.m. he went to the Kroger near his home and purchased a candle lighter (the ones with the long stem). He then came home, entered his garage, doused himself in gasoline, and ignited the lighter. The call to police came in around 12:00-12:15 p.m. and the emergency services crew found Kirkpatrick, burned. They were able to stop the fire before it spread to the house.

As a survivor of his suicide, I’ll never know why he did this. All of the conclusions I can draw are that he felt there was no other method of resolving whatever problem he was having. The fact that he took this to such an extreme and violent means such as fire indicates to me that whatever was wrong had been torturing him for some time. In the month before this, I had spoken with him on the phone and we had caught up on the latest news on what was going on with each other, talked about summer camp (We were counselors together at a leadership camp we both attended previously) and argued over themes for camp. Nothing ever could have indicated that he was bothered or disturbed by anything.

For me, the most unsettling part of his passing is that I’ll never know the “why” that all survivors of suicide have a need to know. Some will securely take comfort in faith that they’ll see their loved ones again in the afterlife. I take comfort in knowing that Kirk will always hold a special place in my heart. Without the “why” some survivors find it difficult to work through the grieving process. I’ve found that the process never ends. Shortly after his passing, I saw Kirk in my dreams and heard his voice in my head. I still feel tears welling up in my eyes when I see his picture. I don’t know that I’ll ever get past these things.

Who is at risk?

Suicide survivors are at risk for suicide themselves. The entire experience brings suicide from the darkest shadows of our minds front and center and shifts our focus onto it. Because of this, suicide survivors may consider committing suicide themselves in an effort to be with their loved one. Often, they feel isolated and alone and may fall into deep depressions. Instead of being left to grieve on their own, friends and family of suicide survivors should encourage the survivor to talk about their feelings. Even when they say they don’t want to talk about it, you can still show your support by letting them know that you are available to talk with them. Let them know they are not alone, and continue to encourage them to talk about the suicide. Be considerate of any special days such as anniversaries and birthdays of their loved one. Don’t make assumptions or talk about things that you don’t know such as the suicide being a result of ongoing depression or commenting on the decision the loved one made. At that moment in time, they felt that suicide was the best option available to them and acted on it.

As time progresses, it will often be easier for the survivor to talk about their loss, and move along with life. I’ve found that it’s best for me to talk openly about what happened. I’ll still talk about Kirk as he was, such as “One of my best friends was a Titans fan.” I can’t just move on from our friendship as it was and not speak of him again. I can’t just erase the past six years of knowing him. I expect that other survivors feel the same way and don’t feel it’s appropriate to stop referring to their loved one, so you shouldn’t either. If they bring up the subject, you should feel able to do so as well. They talk about their loved one to remember them.

The warning signs

Everyone should be aware of suicide warning signs. They may very well save someone’s life. Watch out for friends and family who seem preoccupied with death and dying such as writing songs or stories or poetry about such. Be aware that people who feel hopeless are at risk as well. Making statements such as “Everyone would be better off without me.” are strong indicators that person may feel worthless and may see suicide as a way to stop being a burden. Also, people who start to settle their affairs suddenly could be preparing for suicide. Making out wills, making arrangements to care for children or other family members, and giving away all important possessions can indicate that person is trying to get things in order before a suicide. Major and often sudden changes in moods can indicate a risk. If someone has been sad or depressed lately and is very suddenly very happy and positive may have made a decision that they feel will bring them out of that sadness and depression by means of suicide. Isolation is often associated with suicide, withdrawing from normal activities can indicate depression which is frequently paired with suicide.

It’s important to make sure that the person exhibiting warning signs knows they can talk with you about their feelings. You should listen honestly and completely without passing any judgment on them or their thoughts. Offer that person hope. Let them know that their situation will pass and things will get better. Shift their focus from the problems in the now, to the goals and dreams in the future. Don’t promise to keep your talk a secret. If the time comes and you know they are going to commit suicide, you’ll have to choose to break a promise and lose the friendship or keep a promise and lose the friend. This is never an easy choice. Help that person seek out professional help. Research it with them online, find local help. Offer to drive them to an appointment with a therapist or doctor. Help them find ways to get their mind off of their problems. Join a gym together, go bowling with friends, or dine out at a favorite restaurant. Anything to get them out of their regular routine for a short while will help them clear their head about problems they’re having.

Listed below are some resources if you’d like to learn more about Suicide, Suicide Survivors, and Suicide Prevention. These were the main resources I used in this article and I hope you’ll find them equally helpful.

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/suicide_prevention.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/suicide/

http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/suicide.shtml

http://www.suicide.org/suicide-warning-signs.html

http://www.survivorsofsuicide.com/

http://www.suicide.org/suicide-support-groups.html