Page 625 - Total War on PTSD

Although both the VA and the DoD have begun to embrace alternative treatments, the government moves slowly, and that can be detrimental to a suicidal Veteran who needs immediate relief. “Not all people who have PTSD present with the same needs or the same symptoms, and no one prescriptive approach works for everyone,” says Karen Soltes, LCSW, MAED, E-RYT, a founding member of the organization, Warriors at Ease, which works with yoga and meditation teachers to specifically work with service members and Veterans. Suicide prevention is similar; it does not present in the same manner in all Veterans and thus, there is not a single treatment that works across the board.
Next, more research is needed into the causes and effects of suicide directly. Although suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health, it is expected that only $68 Million will be spent on suicide-related research for Veterans and non-Veterans alike. By contrast, breast cancer will receive approximately $708 Million in research funding, and prostate cancer will receive $243 Million. “There has been tremendous research on breast cancer and AIDS, which lowered mortality rates on diseases we once thought insurmountable,” states Dr. Julie Cerel, a professor at the University of Kentucky and president of the American Association of Suicidology, “however, we have not had comparable research into suicide.” In order to start implementing effective solutions, this has to change.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we have to remember not to lose sight of the human element. Each Veteran suffering from PTSD that dies by suicide is a real person who was suffering, and whose friends and families continue to suffer long after the act of
625 of 1042