On Armed Services Day, Help For Those Considering Suicide

Posted May 21, 2011 by Howard Altman

Updated May 21, 2011 at 10:33 AM

One every 36 hours.

That’s how many servicemembers commit suicide, according to the DoD.

Overall, more than 1,100 have committed suicide between 2005 and 2009, stark figures to consider on Armed Services Day.

There is a message being delivered for those who are thinking about suicide and those who love them.

You are not alone.

Blue Star Families and The Creative Coalition have created a Public Service Announcement campaign to raise awareness and educate service members and their families about the crisis and suicide prevention.  These PSAs were produced by BSF and TCC, in partnership with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) and Health Net, Inc., and are directed by actor and President of The Creative Coalition Tim Daly. The PSAs feature members of The Creative Coalition reminding service men and women, and their families that they are not alone, and that help is available.

Blue Star Families and The Creative Coalition need the help of the Department of Defense, military, public and media outlets to get the message out and hopes online viewers will share the PSAs via all possible means. The videos can be viewed on the Blue Star Families web site.

One factor in suicides is when post traumatic stress disorder goes untreated.

There is a unique study about to launch at USF into whether a novel technique, called Accelerated Resolution Therapy, can treat PTSD in as little as one session.

It consists of a fairly quick and simple procedure involving the waving of fingers to induce eye movements similar to those occurring during deepest sleep, then having the subject replace traumatic scenes with something more pleasant of their own choosing.

Though little has been published about ART, conceived about four years ago by a Connecticut therapist, there are some pretty strong proponents, including the former director of Socom’s Care Coalition, who describes himself as the kind of guy who doesn’t go for therapy.

Jim Lorraine says he hopes that the study will convince the military and medical establishment to adopt ART.

Read more about it Monday in my story in the Tribune and on TBO.com and watch it on News Channel 8.