Page 144 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Spring 2016

Of these 515, only 35 later died by suicide. This is an around you and be happy!” (Anne Frank, diarist, au-
8
overall prevention rate of 93%, which demonstrates thor, Holocaust victim).
that prevention works. Of people who did jump but
survived, one such survivor said, “The very second I let Disclosure
go, I knew I had made a big mistake.” I urge you to
watch his very compelling testimony here: https://www The author has nothing to disclose.
.youtube.com/watch?v=WcSUs9iZv-g and by following
this QR code link:
Disclaimers
The views expressed are those of the author and do not
reflect the official policy or position of the US Special
Operations Command, Department of Defense, or the
US Government.

References
1. O’Carroll PW, Potter LB, Aronowitz E, et al. Suicide contagion
and the reporting of suicide: recommendations from a national
I caution to remind the reader that the narrator of the workshop; US CDC 1989. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview
/mmwrhtml/00031539.htm. Accessed 5 January 2016.
video does not represent the demographic of Special Op- 2. CDC. Reporting on suicide: recommendations for the media;
erations, military, or law enforcement. The individual’s US CDC, 2001. http://afsp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01
underlying pathology (bipolar disorder) was not some- /recommendations.pdf. Accessed 31 January 2016.
thing incurred through military service and is actually a 3. Sonneck G, Etzersdorfer E, & Nagel-Kuess S. Imitative suicide
on the Viennese subway. Soc Sci Med. 1994;38:453–457.
disqualification for military service. 4. Etzersdorfer E, Sonneck G. Preventing suicide by influencing
mass-media reporting. The Viennese experience 1980–1996.
His history of being a premature infant and having been Arch Suicide Res. 1998;4:67–74.
“born on drugs” (as he describes in the video) does not 5. Joiner T. Why people die by suicide. Boston, MA: Harvard
speak to even a minority of Servicemembers in the Spe- University Press; 2005.
cial Operations community. His admitted symptoms of 6. Johann HJ. Everything you think you know about addiction is
wrong. http://www.ted.com/talks/johann_hari_everything_you
visual and auditory hallucinations, paranoia, and mania _think_you_know_about_addiction_is_wrong. June 2015. Ac-
and depression do not fit the overwhelming majority cessed 5 January 2016.
of military suicide patients. His “road to recovery” of 7. Bower B. As suicide rates rise, researchers separate thoughts
seven psychiatric ward stays in 11 years would be ex- from actions. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/suicide-rates
tremely unusual for anyone connected to the military, -rise-researchers-separate-thoughts-actions. 29 December 2015.
Accessed 5 January 2016.
even in the most tenuous way. I only offer the video as 8. Freedenthal S. http://www.speakingofsuicide.com/2013/07/05
a testimony to the fact that recovery is possible and that /suicide-attempt-survivors/. 5 July 2013. Accessed 5 January
the vast number of suicide survivors regret making a sui- 2016.
cide attempt.

I close by saying that if you or someone you know is
having suicidal thought, please seek help and call the SGM Bowling serves as the Senior Enlisted Medical Advi-
National Suicide Hotline at 800-273-8255. I also offer sor for US Special Operations Command. He has served for
what I think is an appropriate quote to close out this 26 years and been assigned to USASOC and the 7th Special
Forces Group.
article: “Think of all the beauty that’s still left in and

128 Journal of Special Operations Medicine Volume 16, Edition 1/Spring 2016