Information On Suicide & PTSD Statistics
The Iraq War is over and the Afghan War is winding down. Since September 11, 2001, a total of 2 million served in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf. It is estimated that 20 -30% of these soldiers have the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress. Nearly 550,000 of these troops have been deployed more than once.
In Afghanistan, an estimated total of 91,000 individuals served, with the same percentages expected to have PTSD symptoms. In September 2012, there were still 68,000 troops there.
Oct 16, 2012. According to The Wounded Warrior Project: “There are 48,000 physically wounded.”
According to the U.S. Dept. of Defense (March, 2012), a total of 6,391 troops have died in these three conflicts, and the wounded total over 47,712. The total estimate of vets with PTSD is approximately 300, 000. In addition, there are also millions of civilian family members, spouses/partners, children, siblings, parents, etc., who have also been adversely impacted by the stresses of these wars. These huge numbers make it impossible for the military, and Federal and State Facilities to handle the enormous loads. Our Program’s goal is to assist with providing private, local access to skilled, certified professionals trained in Energy Psychology. These “coaches” can teach you the EFT techniques in about an hour or two, and provide effective treatments. These unseen wounds of war are difficult to treat. As stated by one Vietnam War vet: “You think you are alright, but you are not. The Battle is now on the inside… I relive it and it never goes away.” Also, the PTSD symptoms can appear later, in a delayed-reaction with severe consequences. Left untreated, PTSD can continue for years.
In 2010, 18 vets per day were committing suicide. Now, for every one death on the battle field, 25 are committing suicide. That is one suicide every 80 minutes, according to Time magazine. in 2012, there were a total of 349 military suicides (NBC News).
Vietnam combat veteran, Karl Marlantes, wrote in his book (What It’s Like To Go To War) that “the military should have mandatory counseling for all vets to help them regain their lives.”
According to news broadcasts, 50 or more returning vets are coming into the Palo Alto Health Services per month.
Unfortunately, only about 53% of vets with PTSD symptoms have sought help in the past year. Also, for those who are deploying or are still on active duty, training in EFT improves combat readiness and can be used as a preventative for the future development of PTSD.
Our hope is that our vets will overcome the major barriers to seeking help: the first being the fear of the stigma of any mental health condition jeopardizing their careers. The second, being a willingness to overcome the military’s emphasis on pride, bravery and stoicism, in spite of carrying these hidden wounds. Also, our vets need to know that real recovery is possible. So, do not give up hope!
Hope also exists for family members who can return to healthy and happy family dynamics.
There is no reason why the war needs to shadow you for the rest of your life. The only thing you have to lose is the PTSD. Email us or pick up the phone and call!