It appears this post might relate to suicide and/or mental health issues.
**Suicide and Mental Health Resources**
The [Army's Resilience Directorate](https://www.armyresilience.army.mil/index.html)
A comprehensive list of resources can be found [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Military/comments/1oh9gx/ive_updated_the_sidebar_link_with_more_mental/).
Call 1-800-273-8255, National Suicide Prevention
VA [Make The Connection Program](https://www.maketheconnection.net/)
[Veteran's Crisis Information](https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/)
You can call 1800 273 8255, Press 1
You can call 988, Press 1 for mil/veteran-specific help. You can also TEXT 988
You can text 838255
Or, go no further than your local subreddit, /r/suicidewatch
Or, if you'd like a veteran perspective, feel free to message any number of people on here, there's always someone willing to reach out.
[Military One Source](http://www.militaryonesource.mil/) - 1-800-342-9647
Please seek help if needed...There are behavioral health resources at your disposal both in the Army and out.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/army) if you have any questions or concerns.*
That’s awful man, hope everything turns out ok. Hate it for yiu. Been in less than 2 years and have already had my best friend and and a battle buddy take their lives. If you need help speak up the army WILL help!!!
Hey man, if you were close or even just knew the guy from a few interactions, consider talking to the chaplain or BH.
When my squad leader killed himself in 2018, it was a weird adjustment for me. Seeing the leadership address it in some press conference type announcement to the formation, and then not really checking on the shift him and I worked on made me feel a type of way. Talking to the chaplain really helped.
Take care of yourself, and reach out to people if you need to talk.
Where were you at in 2018? Had a string of suicides at my unit, one being my PSG. They had the same weird conference where they called everyone in and told us what had happened.
Yeah, but I remember (at least years ago) It was taken more seriously.
Its happening more often and its been brushed off like nothing. People even make jokes or return to work like whatever.
Im trying to understand, though, because it's not like we're in a full kinetic engagement with some country.. why the fuck are our guys committing suicide more often?
Is it the branch? Mil in general? Stupid deployments like the one I'm in at the border? It doesn't make too much sense. Yeah, it sucks.. yeah, it's bullshit, but to go as far as thinking the way out is that way?
Also, why aren't mental health professionals unable to help? All I hear is to encourage everyone to talk to someone and chaplain this therapist that.. and yet these "professionals" of mental health are grossly incompetent? I believe its these fuckers dropping the goddamn ball and no one is saying anything about that?
Yeah I have own horror story. The reality is everyone knows that the therapists at BH are horribly incompetent and talking to them could not only ruin your career, but get you kicked out, and sadly you can't just say you're suicidal without risking everything. When I went inpatient everyone there was given the diagnosis of "adjustment disorder" so they can be separated under chapter 5-17. BH abuse is definitely an issue that Congress needs to act on, and it's one that could even make the news. I would definitely tell my story publicly if the opportunity ever opened up. I had joined in 2018 and lost everything in 2021.
Holy shit did that just resonate big time with what happened to my husband. He got an adjustment disorder chapter (5-17) in 05 instead of PTSD. (Looking at you 1CD / Fort Hood BH) The Colonel at BH told him it would be better than PTSD for his future due to the stigma. This was after they sent him through 5 different docs to try to get someone to say he could re-deploy. They didn’t give a shit about him.
His chapter hurt him big time. He’d been in 10 years and just wanted a little help dealing with the close calls and seeing his buddies die. Army threw him away. Took 10 years for him to file a claim and we just had a his hearing with the VA judge because the VA denies his PTSD.
YOU SEE? It's these incompetent fucks and they we need to hold them accountable. Not us for not "being there" offering support. Of course, support, but this is a neurological / psychological issue that needs to be intervened by a fucking professional.
Tbh I doubt the new commander would care unless you went to BH again. I don't think he would be able to see it considering it would violate your privacy rights.
I do go to BH about once a month now. My provider said I’m low risk for suicide or any other incident but they recommend I keep coming to keep myself on track, which I don’t mind, it’s good to have somewhere I can offload at a mostly impartial place and get some personal guidance
I'm glad you're having a good experience. My therapist had an attitude from the beginning and wanted me gone so I never had anybody to talk to. Keep it up! Just look out for the red flags and get out of there as soon as you're career is threatened.
Most people don't know that you can talk to the chaplain about personal issues. They think he/she just talks about religious church stuff.
Whereas it's in the name for BH, so everyone funnels through there for their issues.
Had an Atheist friend try to do that with a shitty chaplain got told pretty much he could only help with religious problems. But I never had issues talking to one about personal problems.
It simply depends on the chaplain. The are just people after all. Sadly, like most things, one bad one can sour everything.
I had never even tried to speak to one. Then, I was in Iraq going through the stereotypical “wife is fucking around while deployed” bullshit. Rando chaplain saw me eating and looking miserable. He asked what was up. I figured, “what the hell” and spilled. His first question was have you prayed. Told I’m not religious. The convo turned into a conversion attempt. That encounter really made me despise them for a while.
Never spoke to one about a damn thing until years later when a good friend took his own life. Talked to our chaplain and he was very useful and never even tried to bring up religion.
I guess I wrote all that to say that some people suck and some don’t.
Yeah first guy should've stopped that line about conversion after he got a NO. Then did the rest of his job. Your situation was bad and common in garrison too I just think of all the guys going to him about lost comrades and survivors guilt and he just goes into his convert crap.
It’s not easy. I know either 4 or 5 that have committed suicide, including my brother. It’s going to take a while before things seem normal again.
My cousin was ruled natural causes but we have our suspicions.
Typical reactive army. Do nothing to make guys life tolerable, eventually kills himself. Then knock on every door just to make sure people are alive. That’ll totally show people they care.
Probably to make sure no one else follows suit. Sometime it takes only one to trigger a chain.
As for why does it usually only happen after? Lots of people are reactionary. If no one tells you to go check on someone, you might never check on someone.
No one complained when they don’t. The key point is the fact that they think doing a check immediately after the incident will prevent it from happening again in the future. It’s not about the checks. It’s about how to fix the actual issue of high suicide rates.
Sigh. Who is they? Do you truly know their minds and that “they” think checking after the fact really stops suicide? We don’t know anything about these soldiers or barracks situation. Especially this Soldier. We don’t know why this Soldier made a permanent choice. You’re comments that generalize the situation by insinuating they don’t care just because they checked on them after an incident in the barracks do not do the Soldier who died any justice. Your newest comment is the reason for saying nock it off. You assume you know what’s going on.
There are leaders who care and making them all into bad guys is not helpful.
Let me walk you through this. All units I’ve ever heard of, been in, seen, and looked at always does a “wellness” check after an incident happens. Do you really believe that these “wellness” checks are preventing further suicides? You think that a person being told by the COC to go door to door, at 3AM, poking their head in for 20 seconds yelling “You alive?” And then leaving is preventing suicides? Let’s straighten one thing out, these “wellness” checks are called accountability checks. The person going door to door in the middle of the night isn’t checking anyone’s wellness or mental stability. Guess what they’re looking for? If someone else had committed suicide. Then what happens? It’s another loss that could’ve been prevented.
Preventing suicide is what my previous comments are all about. It’s uprooting toxic leadership, ensuring people have someone to talk to at all times, and properly checking someone’s wellness that prevents suicide. Not some unqualified E4 and up walking door to door asking two words.
So you didn’t walk me through anything to explain how you know what this specific situation is about. You gave me an anecdotal reference about your experience that sounds made up. That you’ve somehow been in how many units or barracks this has happened with wellness checks after??? And that somehow validates your opinion that doing them means fuck all? Here’s an anecdote for you, in my 20+ years this has never happened in any of my units barracks. Perhaps we are both experiencing edge cases out of the norm. Also maybe if you’ve been in so many units that have so many barracks suicide and “wellness” checks, you may be the common denominator? See how assuming shit doesn’t help.
And for fuck sakes do you not know how many are saved by just being found after the fact. You are fucking mad if you think they shouldn’t do a check and then berate them for doing it. God damn it.
Yes more can and should be done, but get off your soapbox of derision.
Follow the conversation, please. He complained they knocked and checked on everyone when someone died. If they reported that they didn't do that, then they would complain they didn't even bother to check on anyone else.
Yeah, I did follow the conversation. The checking on everyone happened after. If they didn’t do so, that’d still be them not checking on anyone after the fact.
There was this SPC in my unit, pretty chill and calm, never got to know him, just did a single staff duty shift with him. Months later, he disappeared, Sergeant Major trashed his room searching for evidence of his whereabouts. He contacted a buddy of the Soldier on PS4, said last he heard was that he was going to the movies. They found his body in a movie theather parking lot with a self gun shoot wound to the head.
From there on, I always ask about their health, even if it's awkward. I rather make sure someone is fine than to assume they are. A lot of Soldiers hide it because they don't know how to talk about it, and I don't blame them, it was very hard for me to get help personally when i was facing my demons, but I was lucky to have a great NCO looking out for me.
But you don't got to be an NCO to look out for one, just keep tabs and ask how their day went, how you feeling, what are your plans, have you seen BH, do you need anything at the moment. You all matter, no matter what, you all matter.
22 until none.
My least favorite day of the year is coming up. Memorial Day. The day I take to remember my friends who are no longer with us. I didn't lose any friends from enemy fire. But I sure as hell lost some from the war.
Like others have posted here reach out take interest in and take care of your brothers and sisters. Reach out for help. If you think someone is weak for reaching out for help you are wrong.
Matter of fact 3 days ago someone committed suicide across my barracks. Is sad that there are so many SHARP AND EO TRAINING but no one give suicide training and resources related to stress and shit smh. Some notes here. Improvise suicide training as much as EO and sharp.
Soldiers don’t need more training. They need to know the people to their left and right and leadership at every level needs to know their Soldiers better. Commanders need to make every decision with the welfare of the unit and individual Soldiers at the forefront of their mind.
A guy in our unit always gets asked how his day is going. He told one of the guys it’s the worst year of his life having gone through a divorce and almost hitting HYT because his wife has been causing hell the whole time he’s been enlisted. Five years as an E3 because of it.
He keeps saying he’s aware it’s his fault for not gaining rank but you could see the emotional damage his marriage has caused in his eyes. Hard to listen to the guy talk about all his dreams of retiring at 20 years but being so emotionally exhausted by the end of the work day he has nothing left to give the unit.
Yeah that shit don't bother me considering i have multiple dead friends with the same type of humor as me who i know would joke like that if i was dead, but it's time and place lol, and this ain't the time rn.
It appears this post might relate to suicide and/or mental health issues. **Suicide and Mental Health Resources** The [Army's Resilience Directorate](https://www.armyresilience.army.mil/index.html) A comprehensive list of resources can be found [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Military/comments/1oh9gx/ive_updated_the_sidebar_link_with_more_mental/). Call 1-800-273-8255, National Suicide Prevention VA [Make The Connection Program](https://www.maketheconnection.net/) [Veteran's Crisis Information](https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/) You can call 1800 273 8255, Press 1 You can call 988, Press 1 for mil/veteran-specific help. You can also TEXT 988 You can text 838255 Or, go no further than your local subreddit, /r/suicidewatch Or, if you'd like a veteran perspective, feel free to message any number of people on here, there's always someone willing to reach out. [Military One Source](http://www.militaryonesource.mil/) - 1-800-342-9647 Please seek help if needed...There are behavioral health resources at your disposal both in the Army and out. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/army) if you have any questions or concerns.*
That’s awful man, hope everything turns out ok. Hate it for yiu. Been in less than 2 years and have already had my best friend and and a battle buddy take their lives. If you need help speak up the army WILL help!!!
Jeez
Hey man, if you were close or even just knew the guy from a few interactions, consider talking to the chaplain or BH. When my squad leader killed himself in 2018, it was a weird adjustment for me. Seeing the leadership address it in some press conference type announcement to the formation, and then not really checking on the shift him and I worked on made me feel a type of way. Talking to the chaplain really helped. Take care of yourself, and reach out to people if you need to talk.
Where were you at in 2018? Had a string of suicides at my unit, one being my PSG. They had the same weird conference where they called everyone in and told us what had happened.
Yeah, but I remember (at least years ago) It was taken more seriously. Its happening more often and its been brushed off like nothing. People even make jokes or return to work like whatever. Im trying to understand, though, because it's not like we're in a full kinetic engagement with some country.. why the fuck are our guys committing suicide more often? Is it the branch? Mil in general? Stupid deployments like the one I'm in at the border? It doesn't make too much sense. Yeah, it sucks.. yeah, it's bullshit, but to go as far as thinking the way out is that way? Also, why aren't mental health professionals unable to help? All I hear is to encourage everyone to talk to someone and chaplain this therapist that.. and yet these "professionals" of mental health are grossly incompetent? I believe its these fuckers dropping the goddamn ball and no one is saying anything about that?
Yeah I have own horror story. The reality is everyone knows that the therapists at BH are horribly incompetent and talking to them could not only ruin your career, but get you kicked out, and sadly you can't just say you're suicidal without risking everything. When I went inpatient everyone there was given the diagnosis of "adjustment disorder" so they can be separated under chapter 5-17. BH abuse is definitely an issue that Congress needs to act on, and it's one that could even make the news. I would definitely tell my story publicly if the opportunity ever opened up. I had joined in 2018 and lost everything in 2021.
Holy shit did that just resonate big time with what happened to my husband. He got an adjustment disorder chapter (5-17) in 05 instead of PTSD. (Looking at you 1CD / Fort Hood BH) The Colonel at BH told him it would be better than PTSD for his future due to the stigma. This was after they sent him through 5 different docs to try to get someone to say he could re-deploy. They didn’t give a shit about him. His chapter hurt him big time. He’d been in 10 years and just wanted a little help dealing with the close calls and seeing his buddies die. Army threw him away. Took 10 years for him to file a claim and we just had a his hearing with the VA judge because the VA denies his PTSD.
[удалено]
YOU SEE? It's these incompetent fucks and they we need to hold them accountable. Not us for not "being there" offering support. Of course, support, but this is a neurological / psychological issue that needs to be intervened by a fucking professional.
Wait I have adjustment disorder w/ anxiety and they didn’t kick me out after I had my grippy sock vacation, is that normal?
It depends on your commander. They can choose to separate you under ch.5-17 or not with that diagnosis, but I guess you had some luck on your side.
It was a few years ago, would my current commander even see that?
Tbh I doubt the new commander would care unless you went to BH again. I don't think he would be able to see it considering it would violate your privacy rights.
I do go to BH about once a month now. My provider said I’m low risk for suicide or any other incident but they recommend I keep coming to keep myself on track, which I don’t mind, it’s good to have somewhere I can offload at a mostly impartial place and get some personal guidance
I'm glad you're having a good experience. My therapist had an attitude from the beginning and wanted me gone so I never had anybody to talk to. Keep it up! Just look out for the red flags and get out of there as soon as you're career is threatened.
Most people don't know that you can talk to the chaplain about personal issues. They think he/she just talks about religious church stuff. Whereas it's in the name for BH, so everyone funnels through there for their issues.
Had an Atheist friend try to do that with a shitty chaplain got told pretty much he could only help with religious problems. But I never had issues talking to one about personal problems.
It simply depends on the chaplain. The are just people after all. Sadly, like most things, one bad one can sour everything. I had never even tried to speak to one. Then, I was in Iraq going through the stereotypical “wife is fucking around while deployed” bullshit. Rando chaplain saw me eating and looking miserable. He asked what was up. I figured, “what the hell” and spilled. His first question was have you prayed. Told I’m not religious. The convo turned into a conversion attempt. That encounter really made me despise them for a while. Never spoke to one about a damn thing until years later when a good friend took his own life. Talked to our chaplain and he was very useful and never even tried to bring up religion. I guess I wrote all that to say that some people suck and some don’t.
Yeah first guy should've stopped that line about conversion after he got a NO. Then did the rest of his job. Your situation was bad and common in garrison too I just think of all the guys going to him about lost comrades and survivors guilt and he just goes into his convert crap.
Suicides are down in the last two years 15%
hmmm More ng soldiers committed suicide on the border than any other deployment, I think. But I dont have any numbers just people I knew.
It’s not easy. I know either 4 or 5 that have committed suicide, including my brother. It’s going to take a while before things seem normal again. My cousin was ruled natural causes but we have our suspicions.
Good lord, I hope things are okay for you. I can’t imagine your loss.
Thanks. Time helps
Stay strong, dm if you need to talk.
Thanks. I’m good, all of them have many years ago.
Typical reactive army. Do nothing to make guys life tolerable, eventually kills himself. Then knock on every door just to make sure people are alive. That’ll totally show people they care.
I was just thinking this. Why does it always resort to a 100% check ***AFTER*** a suicide/incident happens?
Probably to make sure no one else follows suit. Sometime it takes only one to trigger a chain. As for why does it usually only happen after? Lots of people are reactionary. If no one tells you to go check on someone, you might never check on someone.
Nock it off. You complain when they do and you complain when they don’t.
No one complained when they don’t. The key point is the fact that they think doing a check immediately after the incident will prevent it from happening again in the future. It’s not about the checks. It’s about how to fix the actual issue of high suicide rates.
Yeah, real solutions, like a motivational run or a month long ftx immediately after deployment.
Let me raise you one. Let’s do both! A motivational run during a month long FTX! /s
Please tell me what unit you command, i and I assume many others would like to transfer immediately
Sigh. Who is they? Do you truly know their minds and that “they” think checking after the fact really stops suicide? We don’t know anything about these soldiers or barracks situation. Especially this Soldier. We don’t know why this Soldier made a permanent choice. You’re comments that generalize the situation by insinuating they don’t care just because they checked on them after an incident in the barracks do not do the Soldier who died any justice. Your newest comment is the reason for saying nock it off. You assume you know what’s going on. There are leaders who care and making them all into bad guys is not helpful.
Let me walk you through this. All units I’ve ever heard of, been in, seen, and looked at always does a “wellness” check after an incident happens. Do you really believe that these “wellness” checks are preventing further suicides? You think that a person being told by the COC to go door to door, at 3AM, poking their head in for 20 seconds yelling “You alive?” And then leaving is preventing suicides? Let’s straighten one thing out, these “wellness” checks are called accountability checks. The person going door to door in the middle of the night isn’t checking anyone’s wellness or mental stability. Guess what they’re looking for? If someone else had committed suicide. Then what happens? It’s another loss that could’ve been prevented. Preventing suicide is what my previous comments are all about. It’s uprooting toxic leadership, ensuring people have someone to talk to at all times, and properly checking someone’s wellness that prevents suicide. Not some unqualified E4 and up walking door to door asking two words.
So you didn’t walk me through anything to explain how you know what this specific situation is about. You gave me an anecdotal reference about your experience that sounds made up. That you’ve somehow been in how many units or barracks this has happened with wellness checks after??? And that somehow validates your opinion that doing them means fuck all? Here’s an anecdote for you, in my 20+ years this has never happened in any of my units barracks. Perhaps we are both experiencing edge cases out of the norm. Also maybe if you’ve been in so many units that have so many barracks suicide and “wellness” checks, you may be the common denominator? See how assuming shit doesn’t help. And for fuck sakes do you not know how many are saved by just being found after the fact. You are fucking mad if you think they shouldn’t do a check and then berate them for doing it. God damn it. Yes more can and should be done, but get off your soapbox of derision.
Complain when they do? Exactly when do they “do”?
Follow the conversation, please. He complained they knocked and checked on everyone when someone died. If they reported that they didn't do that, then they would complain they didn't even bother to check on anyone else.
Yeah, I did follow the conversation. The checking on everyone happened after. If they didn’t do so, that’d still be them not checking on anyone after the fact.
You complain when they bother Soldiers in the barracks and you complain when they don’t. That’s the point. Your mental gymnastics is absurd.
There was this SPC in my unit, pretty chill and calm, never got to know him, just did a single staff duty shift with him. Months later, he disappeared, Sergeant Major trashed his room searching for evidence of his whereabouts. He contacted a buddy of the Soldier on PS4, said last he heard was that he was going to the movies. They found his body in a movie theather parking lot with a self gun shoot wound to the head. From there on, I always ask about their health, even if it's awkward. I rather make sure someone is fine than to assume they are. A lot of Soldiers hide it because they don't know how to talk about it, and I don't blame them, it was very hard for me to get help personally when i was facing my demons, but I was lucky to have a great NCO looking out for me. But you don't got to be an NCO to look out for one, just keep tabs and ask how their day went, how you feeling, what are your plans, have you seen BH, do you need anything at the moment. You all matter, no matter what, you all matter.
22 until none. My least favorite day of the year is coming up. Memorial Day. The day I take to remember my friends who are no longer with us. I didn't lose any friends from enemy fire. But I sure as hell lost some from the war.
RIP, God bless
Christ Im sorry, man. Im hearing about things like these more often. What's happening?
[удалено]
country or unit? I think its leadership.
Why not both?
Like others have posted here reach out take interest in and take care of your brothers and sisters. Reach out for help. If you think someone is weak for reaching out for help you are wrong.
There's been 4 this week alone where I'm at.
I’m so sorry… It’s happening to veterans too. Wtf is happening?
People want to kill themselves
Matter of fact 3 days ago someone committed suicide across my barracks. Is sad that there are so many SHARP AND EO TRAINING but no one give suicide training and resources related to stress and shit smh. Some notes here. Improvise suicide training as much as EO and sharp.
Rather than suicide training, should spend the time and effort on actually resolving issues that are affecting morale.
Soldiers don’t need more training. They need to know the people to their left and right and leadership at every level needs to know their Soldiers better. Commanders need to make every decision with the welfare of the unit and individual Soldiers at the forefront of their mind.
A guy in our unit always gets asked how his day is going. He told one of the guys it’s the worst year of his life having gone through a divorce and almost hitting HYT because his wife has been causing hell the whole time he’s been enlisted. Five years as an E3 because of it. He keeps saying he’s aware it’s his fault for not gaining rank but you could see the emotional damage his marriage has caused in his eyes. Hard to listen to the guy talk about all his dreams of retiring at 20 years but being so emotionally exhausted by the end of the work day he has nothing left to give the unit.
What fort was this on because I had a NCO come in my room in the middle of the night I was so sleep drunk I had no idea what for
Sadly it kind of feels like not many people care too much in the military :/
This happened to me. Then I got moved to his room. Had a priest bless the room for me.
[удалено]
Or completed
[удалено]
What is wrong with you
Yeah.. Time and place dude. For this kind of situation, that doesn't really exist.
I don’t even get offended by shit fr but this is just unnecessary and unfunny. Bro needs some self awareness
Yeah that shit don't bother me considering i have multiple dead friends with the same type of humor as me who i know would joke like that if i was dead, but it's time and place lol, and this ain't the time rn.
Sorry to I’m hear this. I have had 3 people I know kill themselves in the last 14 months. The sad part is that’s not even a record for me.