Involvement key to suicide prevention
Commentary by Capt. Yvonne Levardi
65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
10/22/2004 - LAJES FIELD, Azores (AFPN) -- According to life skills officials here, in fiscal 2004 the Air Force had 57 suicides. That scares the heck out of me because it tells me two things: There are too many folks out there who don’t see any light at the end of their tunnels, and maybe there aren’t enough folks who are making time for their friends or getting to know their people.
I’ve known a few people who have attempted and one who has completed suicide. Two of these who stand out in my memory are a couple of friends from college, Denise and Tim.
Denise was dealing with personal issues and wasn’t receiving much support from her parents. She confided in me that she was thinking about killing herself but asked me not to tell anyone. I told anyway. I didn’t want to chance losing a good friend. She was angry at me, especially when she was put on a 24-hour suicide watch, and made an attempt a couple of days later. Fortunately, she was found in time and taken to the hospital. Later, she thanked me. She didn’t really want to die and was glad to know someone cared about her.
My friend Tim succeeded in killing himself. He and his wife had been having marital problems and were going to counseling. He was even keeping a journal. Unfortunately, that wasn’t working for him. Also, our group of friends that included Tim had grown apart and we weren’t as close as we used to be. We didn’t know what was happening in Tim’s life. One day he committed suicide, leaving the rest of us to wonder if we could have done something.
Both Tim and Denise were motivated toward suicide by different reasons, but I think the basic feelings were the same. Neither could find a resolution to their life problems. However, the two stories end differently. Denise and I were close enough that she could tell me she was having suicidal thoughts. Tim, our friends and I hadn’t all been as close a group as we used to. None of us saw the signs so we couldn’t ask if he needed help.
Right now you may know someone who is thinking about suicide. How well do you know your friends or the people you work with or the people who work for you? Do you know if they’re going through a tough time?
About half of the Air Force suicides this past year were completed by Airmen ages 17-24 in the rank of E-3 to E-4. Most were men. Many were at their first duty stations. Factors associated with these suicides included substance abuse, financial difficulties, legal issues and relationship problems.
We can go to seminars and read brochures forever, but the bottom line is we won’t know if someone is considering suicide unless we truly get to know that person.
For peers, if you have new Airmen come into your office, befriend them and introduce them around so they can make friends. Remember we’re part of the Air Force family and need to take care of each other, especially at a first duty station. We all know it’s a bit scary; you’re unsure of yourself and your job skills, and you don’t know anyone. Help that person like you were helped, or like you would want to be helped.
If you are a supervisor, get to know your people and apply leadership by walking around. Do any of your subordinates have financial or marital problems? Is your single troop lonely? Do you see changes in someone’s work patterns, actions or personality? Knowing your folks can help you see their potential dark times and head them off with activities, someone to talk to or professional help -- the chaplains, life skills specialists, family support center staff, first sergeant or other support services. Your people -- your team -- are your responsibility.
For your personal friends, be there. Make time to strengthen those relationships, because some of them might not have the same resources or strength of will as you. If that is the case, know them well enough that you can see the warning signs and be strong enough to ask if they are thinking about hurting themselves -- and tell someone else if they are.
The best suicide-prevention program in the world won’t work unless we know our people and our friends. Let’s work to be there for our Air Force family, because it is those people who make our Air Force mission happen. |
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