From my personal experience:
Our men join the military are broken mentally, physically and emotionally so that we may live free. They return to us a shell of what they were and are left trying to make sense of life. The very same citizens that they enlisted to protect treat them poorly. While the system set up for them seems to set them up for failure.
I understand each individual is different and they have to heal/process in their own ways, after growing and being around family and friends that have served something feels off. The difference between elder generations and newer generations of military recovery after service seems drastically different. Perhaps it was because I was much younger as protected from the seriousness of it all and now that I am older I can see it first hand. However I don't recall so much emphasis on suicide as there is now.
On one hand I understand needing to talk about it because if their mind is on that path it is important to recognize it and try their best to prevent it. Then on the other hand it feels as if it is spoon fed to them before they are even out of service, and then shoved in their face so often that how can then not think of it as an option?
I hate to think of our government trying to perhaps lessen the cost associated with the care for our military post service by spoon feeding them an option that could be seen as an ends to justify their means. I am proud to be an American, I have pride for all those that have served and will serve and I even tried to serve but due to medical issues had been turned away. Still there's that voice in the back of my head saying could something have been handled differently that could save them? I have struggled with suicidal thoughts as early as five (5) years old, and the few times I've attempted have been times in my life where it was more abundance around me. Be it music, movies, news, etc. the more it was brought up the more in the back of my mind I saw it as the answer. Could this thought be planted early?
The thought of not having a purpose after the military is something many face and it can cause severe depression and many other mental struggles. As I stated perhaps it's the sheltered view when I was younger or perhaps it's the area and what is available here. I feel if you're constantly reminded of an easy way to solve a problem no matter how permanent the solution is and how temporary the problem is you're going to eventually fold.
I don't have a solution. I just have a demon asking questions and a well that is empty. That's all.
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