Navy SEAL's death reveals struggle far beyond PTSD
The stigmatization of mental health illnesses in the U.S. military is but one factor in increased suicide rates among soldiers who have returned home. And though the Pentagon has said suicide prevention is a high priority, some critics say more action needs to be taken.
Former Navy SEAL Rob Guzzo, who returned from Iraq in 2007, took his own life the day after Veteran's Day 2012, after suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Guzzo grew up in Rhode Island in a military family. Both of his parents served in the Navy and Guzzo followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a Navy SEAL. But his parents knew his military career would end if he went to the military for help for his PTSD he developed in Iraq.
Guzzo was hardly alone with feeling like he had nowhere to turn to get the help that he so desperately needed.
The Associated Press reports that the Pentagon has been struggling to deal with the rise of suicides in the U.S. military. Last year’s total of 349 military is the highest number since the Pentagon began tracking suicides in 2001 — more deaths than died in combat in Afghanistan. But though the problem persists, the AP says the Pentagon has made suicide prevention a high priority.
Brook Silva-Braga, Guzzo's high school classmate and host of The Washington Post’s online news program “The Fold,” says he wantd to talk about the death of Guzzo to honor his memory and prevent things like this from happening in the future.
"If you walked into a room and only noticed one person, it would very likely be Rob. He was a prankster he was just a fun vivacious guy,” he said.
Guzzo’s mother, Robin Andersen, says shortly before Guzzo was discharged from the Navy, a close friend, who had been deployed with him to Iraq, committed suicide.
"When that happened, Robert's father and I were extremely concerned that Rob was going to be next, we knew that he needed to get out of the Navy to focus on his health,” she said.
Guzzo spoke to his teammates and other SEALs about what he was experiencing, Andersen says, but they cautioned him that if he sought help, it would hurt his security clearance.
“For a SEAL, if you don't have a security clearance you don't go on secret classified missions. Therefore you're not a Navy SEAL,” Andersen said.
And while the Navy and Army are trying to reduce the stigmatization of mental health illnesses, Silva-Braga says, for special forces, like Navy SEALs, security clearances quickly becomes an issue.
"There may be some people that come back that shouldn't keep their clearance because of what they're going through. But because they know that, how do they get treatment for what they’re going through? And it’s a bit of a catch-22 that I’m not sure there’s a good answer for,” he said.
When Guzzo came back from Iraq, he had nightmares, night sweats and flashbacks. He should’ve been placed on limited duty status, Andersen says, to focus on regaining his mental health.
But that didn't happen.
“But the process is very confusing, it's complicated and if you have folks who don't understand that process and don't understand how to navigate that process, it's not utilized,” she said.
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Some facts:
You don't need to lose consciousness to sustain a brain injury.
Cognitive, emotional, speech, occupational and other deficiencies can show up days, weeks, months or years AFTER the event.
What the survivor eats and drinks affects recovery.
Neuro highways can be rebuilt, but where the average person needs a repetitive skill or action 4-5 times before learned; a TBI survivor needs 15-20 times...then wait...try again..another 15-20 times to retain the learning.
Hormones affect TBI and may increase cognitive issues. Example: TBI BEFORE puberty, once puberty begins with its surge of hormones, cognitive issues can appear. Menopause and aging can do the same thing.
TBI survivors need structure, regimentation and conformity to function, they have difficulty with sudden changes.
Medications to assist with mood, seizures, etc. may work for months or years and then stop working.
50% of TBI survivors are at risk from suicide, if they are not provided coping and compensatory therapies for challenges as soon as possible.
There is no blood test for TBI/ABI/PTSD.
If you feel disconnected, not yourself, forget things as quickly as you think of them, if you are suddenly finding common items in your home in odd places, if the pizza guy swears you ordered 5 pizzas last week, but you don't remember eating them, let alone paying for them; if you lose track of time; if you feel weary, but got 8 or more hours of sleep; if your friends tell you you started a sentence and then suddenly stopped for a second or longer and then changed the subject; if you suddenly lost interest in the things you used to enjoy doing; if friends and family say you've changed, you're too quiet, you're too loud, you're suddenly mean and sullen; AND, if you have in the past had a bump to the head or a severe jolt to your body and experience headaches ... demand you be evaluated for TBI and seek the help you earned, deserve and need. THERE IS QUALITY AND FULFILLING LIFE AFTER TBI. God Bless
Until being evaluated by mental health professionals for mental and emotional injuries is equivalent to seeing an orthopedic surgeon for broken bones, this fallacy that seeing mental health professionals will ruin your career will persist. What will it take?
I'm a firm believer that everyone needs therapy---someone they can talk to who is non-judgmental, who understands what you're going through, and who can help you develop effective coping skills and a new perspective on things.
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