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According to the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Marine Forces Reserve and the MARFORRES Chaplain’s office are reaching out to Marines and Sailors to make them aware of the numerous resources available.
Each year the Defense Suicide Prevention office releases suicide statistics, which reported an average of 20 suicides per day by veterans during the 2015 calendar year.
“This is an issue not only in our country, but also in our service,” said Fernando Guzman, prevention program director for MARFORRES. “We need to act when we see someone in trouble. Or if you need help, seek help.”
Two readily available resources for Marines are the Psychological Health and Outreach Program and an anonymous phone hotline called DSTRESS. Both are accessible from every region of the United States.
The first resource, also known as PHOP, offers service members help with maintaining psychological health, including screenings and referrals for care, with goals to prepare service members and families to face any obstacle.
The second resource is DSTRESS, a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week chat and referral service aiming to help callers manage stress. Interactions are anonymous and confidential, meaning callers are not required to provide any personal information.
Suicide doesn’t only affect the individual, it also affects those left behind.
“It causes a disruption on the family,” said Karen Kluchin-Song, a clinical counselor at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans. “It can affect finances, living situations and parenting. Those are tremendous pieces to someone’s life puzzle. It also leaves people with feelings of guilt and thoughts of second guessing. Depending on the family member that commits suicide, for example, if it’s the breadwinner of the family, not only does it affect the emotional aspects, it also affects the ones left behind with having to deal with basic survival at a time where they are deeply in crises and grieving. In terms of family cohesiveness, it completely disrupts life.”
When a service member commits suicide, his or her unit is also affected.
“One way it affects the unit is the emotional shock,” said Navy Capt. Terry W. Eddinger, deputy force chaplain for MARFORRES. “When a Marine is suddenly missing, the unit has to adjust to it. They may even start second guessing themselves, asking ‘Did I miss a sign? Could I have done something?’”
Recognizing the signs of suicide is the first step to prevention. According to the MARFORRES website, conversations about dying, a change in personality or low self-esteem are notable signs that a Marine may be in need of support. Taking action to help a fellow Marine in need is the most important thing to do if you are concerned.
Utilizing the available resources and taking the time to identify warning signs could save a Marine’s life.
“Suicide is not the answer,” Guzman said. “It’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Stop, look at the situation, press the pause button and seek help. If you get past it, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”
The MARFORREES Facebook page highlights available programs and can be viewed at www.facebook.com/marforres.
For a more comprehensive list of resources, see http://www.marforres.marines.mil/General-Special-Staff/Marine-Corps-Community-Services/Marine-Family-Services/Suicide-Prevention/
*Update Apr 2022: The DSTRESS Line has transitioned to Military OneSource. Call (1-800-342-9647) or start at live chat here - https://www.usmc-mccs.org/services/support/military-onesource/.
| Date Taken: | 09.20.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 09.20.2016 14:27 |
| Story ID: | 210092 |
| Location: | NEW ORLEANS, LA, US |
| Web Views: | 800 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Raising awareness during National Suicide Prevention Month, by Cpl Dallas Johnson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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