Military Mindset Toward Mental Health

Let’s talk Army mental health.

I recently read an article in the Army Times that reported a 20% increase in Army active duty suicides.

20% increase.

Let that sink in.

That was 138 Active Duty Army men and women who needlessly lost their lives last year.

138 sons and daughters.

138 people who volunteered to serve their country.

138 human lives lost in 2018 alone, not due to combat or anything of that nature, but because they felt that life was impossible to continue living.

These numbers only represent the numbers for the Army, and do not include suicide loss from other branches of the military.

138.

It was amazing to me that, considering the amount of resources available to service members, that some of these men and women didn’t seek help. Or maybe some of them did, the statistics didn’t say, but what I do know is that something needs to change.

Military mindset.

I have spoken with so many young soldiers recently, mostly men, who have flat out told me that they refuse to see mental health professionals because they don’t want to be viewed as weak, and “real men” can handle their own problems. I’ve even heard other soldiers describe formations that occurred when someone self-referred to behavioral health because they had suicidal feelings. Instead of using that as a teaching moment for the rest of the unit and commending that soldier for recognizing there was a problem and for being brave for seeking help, that particular First Sergeant chose to call that brave soldier a “pussy” behind his back and in front of the entire company.

Let that sink in for a moment. The highest ranking non-commissioned officer in the entire company called one of his own, a soldier in his care, a derogatory name for recognizing a problem and seeking help.

What kind of message does that send to the rest of the unit, some of whom are guaranteed to be battling mental health issues of their own?

Lets look at the facts.

Approximately 30% of the civilian population suffers from depression. That percentage is thought to be higher among the military population.

There is a correlation between combat exposure and PTSD. The more combat deployments, the more likely a soldier is to suffer from that disorder.

There is a strong correlation between combat exposure and Substance Use Disorders among military members. The more combat deployments one has experienced, the higher the likelihood of that individual self-medicating with drugs and alcohol.

In 2012, the number of suicide completions in the military surpassed that of combat casualties in 2011.

When is military leadership going to wake up and realize that the problem is not the lack of resources available, but by the fact that seeking help is often blatantly discouraged amongst the leadership? How many lives need to be lost for this to change?

The Army Times article stated the following:

“We must continue to ensure commanders have the policies and resources they need to prevent suicides, that all leaders have the tools to identify soldiers who are suffering and to positively intervene, and that all soldiers view seeking mental health care as a sign of strength.”

The fact is that there are policies and place and there are many resource options for these individuals. What good are policies and resources when it is the leadership themselves condemning soldiers for seeking help?

To any military members who might be reading this:

Seeking help when you have a problem that is too big for you to handle by yourself, that is brave.

Seeking help, despite the current military mindset, that is courageous.

Please do not let your leadership shame you for seeking help. And if they do, seek help anyway. What they think ultimately doesn’t matter. You matter. Take the time to take care of yourself. To get better.

You are so worth it.