New White House suicide prevention plan for troops, vets emphasizes gun safety

They did implement this under President Obama and it did decrease Veteran suicides substantially. That never made the rounds enough though.

SrA Michele Burgman - Of course not. He wasn't a Republican

SrA John Monette , "taking guns away" is a hot button topic for veterans and service members. Very glad to hear that they're changing that narrative! We have seen the same at Stop Soldier Suicide. We are very deliberate in our crisis response planning to make it clear we're not taking their guns; we're just reframing their access to their guns and making reminders near their guns for what they have to live for.

CW3 Chuck Eastman - That's good to hear Chief. Veterans in crisis need to be reassured that they are not in any sort of trouble when they seek assistance. Putting out the message that their firearms will not be confiscated is a very important aspect of that. Organizations like yours have to work hand-in-hand with law enforcement and the medical community. Veterans in distress are very different from the "average" person in distress.

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter - That was my experience in 2012. I doubt much has changed. One young soldier with PTSD got royally screwed. After a day long therapy his unit wanted him to come to work. That was wrong, very wrong.

The MEB process was nebulous. The army had no initiative to give us an overview of the MEB process. That institutional knowledge ended when those who went through the MEB left the army. We can do a much better job helping people with PTSD.

I don’t think it’s any better. I am in the process of watching a good soldier who asked for help get sent to a Med board. SMSgt Lawrence McCarter

MAJ (Join to see) - It is not going to get better until we have expectations for people to get over PTSD. Right now it is the new cool kids club, society feels sorry for you, defense attorneys use it as a defense, and the government will pay you for the rest of your life, why get over from it? March of 2013 I took 3month old Nathan to the morgue, Chloe at 18 months was my first IO and intubation and she ended up the same place as Nathan. If you have never been to a morgue, it generally burns your eyes because of the chemicals used to preserve the dead. You know what saves me every time? My next patient and their families do not give two shits about Nathan or Chloe or my feelings, they expect the same A game I gave the others. I have a playlist with songs kryptonite by Three Doors Down, Superman by Five for Fighting, the Show Goes On by Bruce Hornsby, and I dig my self out of a hole so I can be ready for the next patient. Do you think I have PTSD from reading this, fuck yeah but the difference for many verses so many others is you and every other person that expected care from a military hospital expected me to get over it and make you feel like you are the only concern I have in the world. I had expectations upon me and so many do not. I still love taking care of people as much as I did when I graduated nursing school back in 2003 and I think much of that is the expectation of me to do my very best every time.

I am assuming people with PTSD want to get rid of it. It can be infinitely painful.

Until the government and mental health experts realize we are different, significant change is not going to happen. You can put a lock on a gun however if suicide is your mission for the day, you will achieve it. We are taught from the day we get off the cattle truck to achieve the mission no matter what and that in war, the only option is winning. When suicide is that mission, the rest of us are already behind the power curve. These mental health experts whose biggest challenge in life might be when to change their tires have little understanding of who we are. When patients come into the ER with suicidal ideations, the world becomes only about them. This is another big disconnect. You and I often disagree here but you know damn good and well if anyone fucks with one of us, the other would stand up and say hell no. We are no longer wired to think about 'me,' it becomes 'us.' We need to go back to if you kill yourself, you are a buddy fucker and the pain does not go away, it just goes to another person, the person left living. You have no more pain but your buddies do so if you kill yourself, you are a buddy fucker, a blue falcon, period. Mental health for vets needs to be in the language we speak, not the language civilians want us to be. After 24 years in uniform that will never be me again.

MAJ Byron Oyler - I'm with you 100%... suicide is a selfish act to escape what they think will put them out of THEIR misery... not thinking of who they leave behind. My wife's sister finally succeeded... after many trys... by hanging herself from a ladder 10 years ago. My wife has never been the same... which affects my life as well. I lost a nephew 16 months ago... gunshot to the head in the garage. My Brother had just died 6 weeks prior. I'm sure all of us have lost someone to suicide... and for that I am sorry for your loss. Most combat Veterans are not the same... & more than likely never will be. Thankfully after 30+ years the V.A. presented a program that has allowed me to get on with life... for the most part. You are correct... "Mental health for vets needs to be in the language we speak, not the language civilians want us to be." I know MAJ Ken Landgren has written a process specifically for Veteran Combat P.T.S.D..
You're also correct that we disagree at times... but we haven't written each other off... we try to voice our opinions with civility & respect. Thanks for takng the time to share your thoughts... much appreciated.