Are military PTSD & suicides connected to Divorces & family court stresses & outcomes?

SFC Jake Middaugh — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 20:17:03 -0400

I've seen a lot of emphasis on here, the media & in the military brass for helping vets with PTSD and engaging everyone for more awareness of our friends, coworkers and loved ones to be aware of the people around them that have post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression in order to help prevent suicide.

However, it seems to be that one of the largest, if not the largest reason that these suicides are so high seems to go unacknowledged and mostly completely ignored.
This issue is our corrupt family court system. This corrupt 76 billion dollar federal & state industry completely bankrupts parents and then deprives parents nefariously (both mothers and fathers) of their children for profit.

I call on all my veteran brothers and sisters to respond. I'm trying to get a consensus of just how prevalent this issue is among the military & veteran community, that push them to suicide. Please describe shortly in the comments below.

I am working with another veteran, Kash Jackson; to show in graphic detail, just how prevalent and devastating this has been to a large percentage of veterans. And this devastating issue has pushed many of us over the edge to commit suicide.

Kash & I have committed our lives to fixing the corrupt family court system and the horrible devastation it creates to all parents and their children!
We will not rest until we have fixed this corrupt system that destroys the lives of parents and children for profit!
The court system operates more like the mafia than an actual place of Justice, liberty & honor that it should be.

Here is a link will show you in a nutshell of what this system has done to this loving father and decorated American Combat veteran.

https://www.facebook.com/KashJackson2018/posts/ [login to see] 099219

I'm in the same boat! My story is almost an exact copy of his story.
If you are interested, my story was lucky enough to be shown on national TV. Here is a link if you would like to see the episode I was on:

https://youtu.be/3D-JTkZPQF4

And the same difficulties, stresses, negative financial results, & child trafficking go on over 2 million times every year!

Kash & I believe that the military and specifically the VA should be identifying this major issue. And we also believe that they should be helping us and assisting us to correct this huge problem.

As Kash's statement states - the only solution to his suicidal triggers is to be reunited with his children, to have an equal and fair parenting schedule. And I can attest to Kash's eye opening statement - because I've lived through this nightmare everyday and night for six years now!

None of the traditional forms of 'help' will combat our suicidal & PTSD issues...
Not:
- counseling sessions that keep rehashing the harsh reality that we can't see her children for no good reason;
- increased medications
- denying us legal representation (JAG or military legal assistance covers many things, but they draw the line at assistance veterans in the family court system)

Yes, none of these things acknowledge that the family court system:
Bankrupts a person and kidnaps their children against their will,
Makes them homeless, and then
Puts them into an endless form of Child Support debt that they are unable to pay.

I believe that the longer that our nation, the military, and the VA ignore this obvious and devastating trauma, the more this system will keep growing and our military service members, veterans and our children will keep increasing their suicide rates.

There's nothing worse than having your own children ripped away from you for no good reason! We wake up everyday having to mourn our own children that are still alive. We are forced to grown and suffer everyday knowing that the only reason that our children were ripped away from us was because of money, power & retaliation.
I have not been 'allowed' to see my children in over 3 years now! And I miss them dearly! I have literally thousands of photographs of me and my children, most of these pictures were even taken by my own ex, of me and my kids having fun together as a family.

Our focus is to open the eyes of all Americans that this is destroying all of our families and America is a whole. This should be the most important and largest issue over all others here in America!

But as veterans, we want to engage the military and the VA to acknowledge this very large stressor and to provide assistance to stop this corrupt court system from going down this very destructive and life-threatening path. And also to help our children to save them from the inevitable damage of going through this horrible process.
This also affects our National Security because it damages the veteran and creates a huge instability that prevents them from being able to effectively serve our National Defense.

Many of us military veterans actually had our military service used against us wrongly in court!

I myself had many lies thrown against me that used my military & combat experience to imply that this made me a threat and should prevent me from being a parent. The judge bought this lie Hook, Line, & Sinker. From day one, I had a false protection order issued against me with no evidence and behind closed doors. This is called an ex-parte protection order (meaning that the court order was approved in a room with my ex, and the judge; without me nor my counsel).
In one day, I was escorted from my own house that I bought with my veterans housing benefits. This instantly made me homeless and also prevented me from being able to see my children and this also got me fired at my job.

No one should be deprived of their children if they don't have any major issues or if they are already convicted criminals. The court systems should not be allowed to throw out all of our rights & our children's constitutional rights! This is America, we already have rights according to the U.S. Constitution.
We should not have to fight for our rights that we already have had for the last 244 years!

So, please help us to engage our military and the VA and all U.S. residents. We need to involve everyone to make this the most important issue in America!
All Americans need to stand hand in hand - to tell our governments and our State officials that our children and our parental family relationships are more important than money and making profit!
Because without acknowledging this reality, we will remain where we are - With a record amount of suicides increasing everyday and having millions of parents and children being permanently affected by the horrible trauma this creates.

Again, I call on all my veteran brothers and sisters to respond. I'm trying to get a consensus of just how prevalent this issue is among veterans, that push them to a suicide. Please describe shortly in the comments below.

Thank you for reading. All of us working together can make this issue important and finally get the most corrupt system in America changed so that it actually helps our families rather than destroying us and forcing us to suicide.

Kash Jackson

1. I attempted suicide 2. Because of major depressive disorder 3. Depression caused from parental alienation. 4. I receive military disability for major depressive disorder. 5. I smoke cannabis to...

Response by PO1 H Gene Lawrence made Oct 20 at 2020 9:09 PM

PO1 H Gene Lawrence — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 21:09:46 -0400

When I was working as Deputy Sheriff outside of Fort Lewis, I unfortunately had to deal with this in the Tillicum community outside the west gate. Many wives suffered physical and emotional harm from their spouses who suffered from PTSD and other issues that brought with the soldier many uncontrollable anger issues. It also affected the soldier, personally with major depression and suicidal. I had to deal with it more than I wanted to. For me personally, I was so relieved to assigned to another district on the other side of the county. A sad commentary because the VA facility was so close by in Lake City, where a large portion of the base surrounded. I certainly hope that there have been major changes there.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 20 at 2020 10:29 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 22:29:51 -0400

I sympathize with those who are struggling through courts for custody, but I have to say this is just a piece of the pie. Society has to be vigilante over the whole pie.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 21 at 2020 4:09 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 04:09:26 -0400

While that type of information is gathered for an 8 day report for active duty, it is not published. And gathering the information on prior service is even less likely. The statistical analysis to draw a correlation between the items would require a substantial sample size.

any major stressor such as divorce and family court issues can be a contributing factor in suicide. but currently I do not believe there is a statistical tie between % of divorce and occasions of suicide. The military has a considerably higher divorce rate over the rate of suicide.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Oct 21 at 2020 9:15 AM

CPT Lawrence Cable — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 09:15:02 -0400

You are not the only one to suggest that theory, not only for Military Men, but for divorced men with children in the civilian world also. Men are the majority of the suicides with the highest rates being in that 35 to 65 age group. Is that rise because of social isolation as the result of both the custody and economic impact to divorce? There is at least a statistical correlation.

Response by SSgt Richard Kensinger made Oct 21 at 2020 12:05 PM

SSgt Richard Kensinger — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 12:05:14 -0400

Based on my 5 decades of clinical experience, we know the major risk factors of parasuicides and completed ones. Indeed one of the critical psychosocial stressors for most of us is a serious disruption or fracture of a significant relationship. By itself it is not a major risk factor.
Rich

Response by SPC Joseph Dunhardt made Oct 21 at 2020 12:29 PM

SPC Joseph Dunhardt — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 12:29:04 -0400

I believe they can be a deciding factor in it SFC Jake Middaugh

Response by Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen made Oct 21 at 2020 6:03 PM

Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 18:03:30 -0400

I'm sure there is some connection.

Response by SGT Ed Matyjasik made Oct 21 at 2020 7:18 PM

SGT Ed Matyjasik — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 19:18:26 -0400

Back in the late 1970's I worked with another Vietnam combat veteran. We both have chronic PTSD from being in combat. I always thought that he was handling it better than I. Then one day at work they told me that he hung himself the night before. He left behind a wife and three kids. For some the war never ends.