Collateral Damage in Iraq Now Includes Military Suicides

One in every 10 soldiers evacuated out of Iraq for medical care is suffering from mental-health problems. Suicides rates are 17.3 per 100,000, a figure far in excess of last year's overall U.S. military rate of 12.8. Deaths now at highest level since Vietnam

(PRWEB) May 12, 2004 -- April has been the bloodiest period so far for U.S. troops in Iraq. The number of U.S. troops killed by enemy fire has reached the highest level since the Vietnam War.

And this war is taking another toll on the soldiers - "collateral damage" usually means unavoidable civilian deaths, but in Iraq it has come to mean an alarmingly high rate of military suicides.

Twenty-four Americans are known to have taken their own lives in Iraq in the past year. Four other deaths are being investigated.

This count doesnt include the deaths of newly States-sided troops. There have been seven such suicides. Another three deaths are under investigation.

When the body is fighting physical pain or illness, or the being feels anger, fear and terror, his life force is suppressed and his dynamic urge to survive is driven down toward death, explains philosopher and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard in Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.

Hubbards research showed that when we experience moments of pain, with some degree of unconsciousness -- even a lessened awareness due to extreme emotional pain or stress - our analytical thought process is affected. We record these incidents in the reactive, or subconscious, mind. This is the single source of all irrational behavior," wrote Hubbard.

Being in the middle of a war is extremely stressful and traumatic," says Jae Burnham, a veteran of Desert Storm. While you are in combat you dont think about it, but it hits you afterwards. You hold it in. Its tough to deal with all that emotion. Many Desert Storm soldiers suffered long-term mental effects and our troops in Iraq are going through the same thing."

When Jay returned Stateside, he found it difficult to return to a happy and normal life. He felt angry and his emotions were extremely volatile. I could blow up at the smallest thing," said Burnham. All you had to do was look at me the wrong way and I wanted to wipe you out."

He would be fine for a period of time and then, for no apparent reason, uncontrollable feelings of stress, anger and depression would set in.

I found Dianetics in a bookstore and for the first time understood what happened to me," says Burnham. It gave me a way to deal with the images locked in my reactive mind causing the irrational emotions and thoughts. It was a real relief to be rid of them - and feel happy again."

Our troops are in a breeding ground for mental stress and depression. Without effective help they will be returning to a life of post-war mental stress. We will have created another generation who gave their lives for the cause -- whether they died over there, or they came home.
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