James Donaldson on Mental Health - State to expand LGBTQ youth suicide prevention training for 988 counselors

by Staff Writer

The program will be offered to counselors across all 11 of California’s 988 call centers

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Click here to follow James Donaldson's Blog

California is partnering with The Trevor Project to provide specialized suicide prevention training for more than 1,000 counselors working at the state’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline centers, state officials said.

The training, which begins this month and runs through March 2026, is intended to help counselors better support LGBTQ youth, a group that research shows faces elevated risks of suicide and mental health challenges.

The program will be offered to counselors across all 11 of California’s 988 call centers. It is based on surveys conducted earlier this year of center leadership and crisis counselors to identify gaps in training and areas where additional support is needed, according to the California Health and Human Services Agency.

The sessions will focus on improving counselors’ understanding of LGBTQ identities, risk factors and best practices for crisis intervention.

The initiative comes as the state reports an increase in calls and messages from LGBTQ youth to 988 centers. State officials said early data indicate higher contact volumes after the federal government ended a specialized LGBTQ youth counseling option, known as “Press 3,” within the national 988 system. As a result, more LGBTQ callers have sought help through the general crisis line.

According to The Trevor Project, 35% of LGBTQ youth in California reported seriously considering suicide within the past year, based on the organization’s research.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential support by phone, text and chat to people experiencing emotional distress or suicidal crises. California launched its version of the service in 2022 as part of a nationwide transition from the former National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Pexels.com https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-state-to-expand-lgbtq-youth-suicide-prevention-training-for-988-counselors/

by Staff Writer

The program will be offered to counselors across all 11 of California’s 988 call centers

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Click here to follow James Donaldson's Blog

California is partnering with The Trevor Project to provide specialized suicide prevention training for more than 1,000 counselors working at the state’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline centers, state officials said.

The training, which begins this month and runs through March 2026, is intended to help counselors better support LGBTQ youth, a group that research shows faces elevated risks of suicide and mental health challenges.

The program will be offered to counselors across all 11 of California’s 988 call centers. It is based on surveys conducted earlier this year of center leadership and crisis counselors to identify gaps in training and areas where additional support is needed, according to the California Health and Human Services Agency.

The sessions will focus on improving counselors’ understanding of LGBTQ identities, risk factors and best practices for crisis intervention.

The initiative comes as the state reports an increase in calls and messages from LGBTQ youth to 988 centers. State officials said early data indicate higher contact volumes after the federal government ended a specialized LGBTQ youth counseling option, known as “Press 3,” within the national 988 system. As a result, more LGBTQ callers have sought help through the general crisis line.

According to The Trevor Project, 35% of LGBTQ youth in California reported seriously considering suicide within the past year, based on the organization’s research.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential support by phone, text and chat to people experiencing emotional distress or suicidal crises. California launched its version of the service in 2022 as part of a nationwide transition from the former National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Pexels.com https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=16243

James Donaldson on Mental Health - Help for Cutting and Other Self-Injury

When kids intentionally hurt themselves, often by cutting or scratching their skin, as a way to manage difficult emotions

Writer: Rachel Ehmke

Clinical Expert: Ron J. Steingard, MD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPbDehS1ITI

What You'll Learn

- Why do kids cut or hurt themselves?
- What are signs of self-injury?
- How can parents help?
- Quick Read
- Full Article
- Understanding the drive
- A way to cope
- Red flags for cutting
- Triggers
- Getting self-harm help

The most common way kids self-injure is by cutting themselves. Some kids also burn themselves or pick at skin and wounds.

While cutting might look like suicidal behavior, it actually isn’t. Some kids say they hurt themselves because it distracts them from the intense emotional pain that they are feeling. Other kids say they do it because they feel numb. For these kids, hurting themselves helps them feel something. While many people try to keep their self-injury a secret, for others it can be a way to ask for help.

Kids often keep cutting because it becomes a way they cope with how they’re feeling. And the longer they practice self-injury, the more they’ll come to rely on it.

If you think your child might be self-injuring but you aren’t sure, there are signs to look for. Suspicious-looking scars, wounds that won’t heal, and always wearing long-sleeved shirts can all be signs.

If your child is self-injuring, it is important to get help. Talk to a mental health professional about getting your child an evaluation. This can help determine what your child is struggling with and what treatment will be most effective. Therapies called dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and family therapy can all help.

Important:
If you or someone you know needs help now, call 988 or visit the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

There are few things more disturbing for moms and dads than finding out that your child is intentionally hurting themselves. Unfortunately, it’s very common, especially among girls. Experts call it “self-injury,” and as many as a quarter of all teenagers do it.

The most common form of self-injury is cutting or scratching the skin with anything that can draw blood, such as razors or even paperclips and pen caps, but people also self-injure by burning themselves, picking at skin and wounds, or hitting themselves. They often start around puberty.

When a person develops a habit of cutting their arms it might look like suicidal behavior, but it actually isn’t. People who self-injure aren’t trying to kill themselves, they are trying to alleviate some emotional distress they are feeling. However, the behavior indicates a depth of psychic pain that could lead to a suicide attempt. The behavior is also inherently dangerous because people who self-injure may hurt themselves more seriously than intended or develop infections or other medical complications.

Understanding the drive

It’s hard to understand why anyone would want to intentionally hurt themselves or why that injury would come as a relief, as many self-injurers describe it. Some people report that it serves as a distraction from some other intense emotional pain, says Ron Steingard, MD, a psychiatrist at the Child Mind Institute.

Others self-harm because they feel deadened inside. “They’ve locked down so tightly because of whatever’s going on in their lives that they feel they’re incapable of feeling anything at all,” says Dr. Steingard. “So they hurt themselves in order to feel something.”

In some cases self-injury can also become a way of communicating. When a young person is found to be cutting, it’s likely to elicit empathy and concern from parents and other adults. Next time they are feeling desperate, they might use self-harm as a way to communicate their feelings.

A way to cope

But self-injury isn’t always a form of communication. Some kids are very secretive about the habit, and are focused only on ameliorating their own pain, not sharing it. It’s what clinicians call a maladaptive coping tool: Even though self-injury isn’t the best way to manage a problem, it might bring temporary relief.

Unfortunately that relief makes self-injurious behavior very reinforcing, so kids come to rely upon it as a way to deal with their painful feelings. And the longer they practice self-injury the more reinforcing it becomes.

Red flags for cutting

If you suspect that your child may be self-harming but you’re not sure, look for these signs:

- Talking about self-injury
- Suspicious-looking scars
- Wounds that don’t heal or get worse
- Cuts on the same place
- Increased isolation
- Collecting sharp tools such as shards of glass, safety pins, nail scissors, etc.
- Wearing long-sleeved shirts in warm weather
- Avoiding social activities
- Wearing a lot of band aids
- Refusing to go into the locker room or change clothes in school

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Click here to follow James Donaldson's Blog

Triggers

The impulse a teenager feels to harm themself is almost always triggered by a specific event in their life. The most common “trigger” for cutting is feeling rejected: by a romantic interest, by their close friends, or by a general feeling of being left out or criticized.

Cutting can also be copy-cat behavior inspired by videos and images that show other people cutting.

Getting self-harm help

If you discover that a child has been self-harming, even if they say it was a one-time thing, it’s important to get help. It’s true that kids might experiment with self-injury, especially if they have friends who are doing it, but it’s a serious and dangerous behavior, and you don’t want to ignore what might be a real mental health issue.

- Evaluation: To begin with, you should have your child evaluated by an experienced mental health professional to find out what their reasons for self-harm are and what emotional difficulties they’re experiencing.
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): One highly recommended treatment is DBT, in which a psychologist works with your child to help them learn how to tolerate uncomfortable feelings, anger, anxiety and rejection without resorting to cutting.
- Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT): In CBT, a psychologist teaches your child to challenge negative, distressing thoughts, to recognize the pattern and train herself to think outside it. In many cases, particularly with teenagers, this treatment is very successful.
- Family Therapy: If there are things going on at home–fighting, job loss, a death–that could be the source of your child’s emotional troubles,family therapy is a good way to begin treatment.
- Medication: Often if there is another disorder involved, a doctor will prescribe medication to treat that condition. The combination of medication and psychotherapy is very successful at treating kids who self-harm.

Finally, Dr. Steingard recommends that families try to be open and supportive. “This is a behavior that’s very hard for people to get inside and empathize with. But it isn’t something that a person can just stop; it’s something that needs to be understood.”

Important:
If you or someone you know needs help now, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Self Harm

https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-help-for-cutting-and-other-self-injury-3/

When kids intentionally hurt themselves, often by cutting or scratching their skin, as a way to manage difficult emotions

Writer: Rachel Ehmke

Clinical Expert: Ron J. Steingard, MD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPbDehS1ITI

What You'll Learn

- Why do kids cut or hurt themselves?

- What are signs of self-injury?

- How can parents help?

- Quick Read

- Full Article

- Understanding the drive

- A way to cope

- Red flags for cutting

- Triggers

- Getting self-harm help

The most common way kids self-injure is by cutting themselves. Some kids also burn themselves or pick at skin and wounds.

While cutting might look like suicidal behavior, it actually isn’t. Some kids say they hurt themselves because it distracts them from the intense emotional pain that they are feeling. Other kids say they do it because they feel numb. For these kids, hurting themselves helps them feel something. While many people try to keep their self-injury a secret, for others it can be a way to ask for help.

Kids often keep cutting because it becomes a way they cope with how they’re feeling. And the longer they practice self-injury, the more they’ll come to rely on it.

If you think your child might be self-injuring but you aren’t sure, there are signs to look for. Suspicious-looking scars, wounds that won’t heal, and always wearing long-sleeved shirts can all be signs.

If your child is self-injuring, it is important to get help. Talk to a mental health professional about getting your child an evaluation. This can help determine what your child is struggling with and what treatment will be most effective. Therapies called dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and family therapy can all help.

Important:If you or someone you know needs help now, call 988 or visit the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

There are few things more disturbing for moms and dads than finding out that your child is intentionally hurting themselves. Unfortunately, it’s very common, especially among girls. Experts call it “self-injury,” and as many as a quarter of all teenagers do it.

The most common form of self-injury is cutting or scratching the skin with anything that can draw blood, such as razors or even paperclips and pen caps, but people also self-injure by burning themselves, picking at skin and wounds, or hitting themselves. They often start around puberty.

When a person develops a habit of cutting their arms it might look like suicidal behavior, but it actually isn’t. People who self-injure aren’t trying to kill themselves, they are trying to alleviate some emotional distress they are feeling. However, the behavior indicates a depth of psychic pain that could lead to a suicide attempt. The behavior is also inherently dangerous because people who self-injure may hurt themselves more seriously than intended or develop infections or other medical complications.

Understanding the drive

It’s hard to understand why anyone would want to intentionally hurt themselves or why that injury would come as a relief, as many self-injurers describe it. Some people report that it serves as a distraction from some other intense emotional pain, says Ron Steingard, MD, a psychiatrist at the Child Mind Institute.

Others self-harm because they feel deadened inside. “They’ve locked down so tightly because of whatever’s going on in their lives that they feel they’re incapable of feeling anything at all,” says Dr. Steingard. “So they hurt themselves in order to feel something.”

In some cases self-injury can also become a way of communicating. When a young person is found to be cutting, it’s likely to elicit empathy and concern from parents and other adults. Next time they are feeling desperate, they might use self-harm as a way to communicate their feelings.

A way to cope

But self-injury isn’t always a form of communication. Some kids are very secretive about the habit, and are focused only on ameliorating their own pain, not sharing it. It’s what clinicians call a maladaptive coping tool: Even though self-injury isn’t the best way to manage a problem, it might bring temporary relief.

Unfortunately that relief makes self-injurious behavior very reinforcing, so kids come to rely upon it as a way to deal with their painful feelings. And the longer they practice self-injury the more reinforcing it becomes.

Red flags for cutting

If you suspect that your child may be self-harming but you’re not sure, look for these signs:

- Talking about self-injury

- Suspicious-looking scars

- Wounds that don’t heal or get worse

- Cuts on the same place

- Increased isolation

- Collecting sharp tools such as shards of glass, safety pins, nail scissors, etc.

- Wearing long-sleeved shirts in warm weather

- Avoiding social activities

- Wearing a lot of band aids

- Refusing to go into the locker room or change clothes in school

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Click here to follow James Donaldson's Blog

Triggers

The impulse a teenager feels to harm themself is almost always triggered by a specific event in their life. The most common “trigger” for cutting is feeling rejected: by a romantic interest, by their close friends, or by a general feeling of being left out or criticized.

Cutting can also be copy-cat behavior inspired by videos and images that show other people cutting.

Getting self-harm help

If you discover that a child has been self-harming, even if they say it was a one-time thing, it’s important to get help. It’s true that kids might experiment with self-injury, especially if they have friends who are doing it, but it’s a serious and dangerous behavior, and you don’t want to ignore what might be a real mental health issue.

- Evaluation: To begin with, you should have your child evaluated by an experienced mental health professional to find out what their reasons for self-harm are and what emotional difficulties they’re experiencing.

- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): One highly recommended treatment is DBT, in which a psychologist works with your child to help them learn how to tolerate uncomfortable feelings, anger, anxiety and rejection without resorting to cutting.

- Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT): In CBT, a psychologist teaches your child to challenge negative, distressing thoughts, to recognize the pattern and train herself to think outside it. In many cases, particularly with teenagers, this treatment is very successful.

- Family Therapy: If there are things going on at home–fighting, job loss, a death–that could be the source of your child’s emotional troubles,family therapy is a good way to begin treatment.

- Medication: Often if there is another disorder involved, a doctor will prescribe medication to treat that condition. The combination of medication and psychotherapy is very successful at treating kids who self-harm.

Finally, Dr. Steingard recommends that families try to be open and supportive. “This is a behavior that’s very hard for people to get inside and empathize with. But it isn’t something that a person can just stop; it’s something that needs to be understood.”

Important:If you or someone you know needs help now, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Self Harm https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=16241

James Donaldson on Mental Health - Why the Military Needs to Talk More About Suicide Risk, Before and After Service

Photo by Craig Adderley on Pexels.com

A few years ago, a Florida mom, Janine Lutz, told the Marine Corps Times about her son Janos “John” Lutz, who enlisted when he was 19, served on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan, was medically retired in 2011, and died by suicide in 2013 at age 24.
 
After her son’s death, Lutz established the Cpl. Janos V. Lutz Live to Tell Foundation, which aims to decrease veteran suicide as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – one of the conditions her son was diagnosed with – by raising awareness and providing support for returning veterans. Lutz and others similarly impacted also advocate for more, and better, government-provided suicide prevention resources.

“The United States Marines train our combat veterans for 1 year to become experts in the application of violence but they failed to untrain them so they could reintegrate back into society,” she wrote on her nonprofit organization’s website.

Healing “invisible war wounds”

PTSD, major depression, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other traumas inflicted by war that aren’t immediately apparent to the eye are often referred to as the “invisible wounds of war.” Unlike physical injuries from combat, they can’t be seen by other service members, family, friends, colleagues, and society in general. Yet they can have a significant impact on the mental health of an active service member or veteran.

While the connection between PTSD and TBI and their impact on suicide ideation and suicide attempt are ongoing topics of research, one study found that veterans with multiple brain injuries are twice as likely to consider suicide compared with those with one or none. Other research that analyzed data from the National Comorbidity Survey showed that PTSD – out of six anxiety diagnoses – was significantly associated with suicidal ideation or suicide attempts.

Suicide rate and US military veterans

The United States Marines train our combat veterans for 1 year to become experts in the application of violence but they failed to untrain them so they could reintegrate back into society”

While the US Department of Defense has been working to better understand and establish resources for active military and veterans at risk for suicide, deaths due to suicide are still a tragic piece of the US military’s story.

In 2023, there were approximately 15.8 million military veterans in the United States — about 6.1% of U.S. adults. Every day, about 18 of those veterans die by suicide, according to the 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, compiled by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Suicide rates among veterans have climbed since 9/11, the VA reports. In 2001, the suicide rate for veterans was 23.3 per 100,000. By 2022, that figure had increased to 34.7 per 100,000 veterans.

The table below details variation in the number of Veteran suicides, by year from 2001 to 2022

Suicide was the 12th-leading cause of death for Veterans in 2022, and the 2nd-leading cause of death for Veterans under age 45-years-old.

What’s more, veterans die by suicide at a higher rate than the national average, according to the VA. In 2020, the age- and sex-adjusted suicide rate among veterans was 57.3% higher than the age- and sex-adjusted rate among non-veteran U.S. adults.

In his 2021 paper for Brown University’s Cost of War Project, Thomas Suitt’s findings indicate that the years after war are more lethal than war itself. Suitt estimated that “30,177 active duty personnel and veterans of the post 9/11 wars have died by suicide, significantly more than the 7,057 service members killed in post-9/11 war operations.”
 
In an interview with NPR in 2021 when the paper came out, Suitt said, “Even the very conservative estimate that I came up with, it’s horrifying.”

Suicide rates by race and ethnicity

In the VA’s 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, unadjusted Veteran suicide rates were reported by race. The suicide rate was highest among White Veterans at 34.2 per 100,000. The suicide rate was 30.2 per 100,000 among Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander veterans; 29.8 per 100,000 among American Indians or Alaska Native veterans; and 14.2 per 100,000 among Black or African American veterans.

According to an analysis by Military.com, when tallied by percentages, rates of suicide are higher among veterans who are in racial minority groups. A 2024 article on the site stated, “Based on data from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Defense Department, the suicide risk among service members and veterans of Asian American and Pacific Islander descent (AAPI) was 350% higher than the national average, and the per capita rate for Black and Hispanic vets and troops was twice the national average in 2021, the last year for which data was available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, VA and DoD.”

Female veterans and suicide

Suicide deaths among female veterans are different in some ways – including a drop in deaths. According to the 2024 VA report, in 2022, there were 271 suicides among female veterans (80 fewer than in 2021) compared to 6,136 among male veterans (83 more than in 2021). The poisoning suicide mortality rate was higher for female veterans than for male veterans, who were more likely to die by suicide by firearm and suffocation. But the firearm suicide rate among female veterans was 144.4% higher than for female non-veteran adults.

Experiencing sexual trauma while in the military is also associated with suicide. Among female veterans who used VA health services, the suicide rate was 75.0% higher for those who screened positive for military sexual trauma …”

Experiencing sexual trauma while in the military is also associated with suicide. Among female veterans who used VA health services, the suicide rate was 75.0% higher for those who screened positive for military sexual trauma (24.95 per 100,000) than for female veterans with negative screens (14.26 per 100,000).
 
In her book “Hollow: A Memoir of My Body in the Marines,” Bailey Williams – who was 18 when she joined the Marine Corps, leaving behind a strict Mormon upbringing – talks about the trauma of sexual assault during her time in the Marines. And keeping silent about it. In a 2024 interview on NPR’s “Fresh Air” show, Williams said, “I felt that it would not be taken seriously.” Or if it was taken seriously, she said, “It was going to be my life that got harder and not his.”

Active military and suicide

Veterans aren’t the only ones at risk. In 2023, 523 active service members died by suicide – more than the previous year (493), according to a Department of Defense Annual Report on Suicide in the Military released in November of 2024. Firearms were the primary method of suicide death for service members (65%). The report also noted that suicide rates among active service members have gradually risen since 2011, and that most were young, enlisted men.

Risk factors for suicide

Studies, medical experts, and VA reports have pointed to a broad range of risk factors and issues associated with suicidal thinking (ideation) and suicide among active service members and veterans. They include PTSD, TBI, sexual trauma experienced while serving in the military, multiple deployments, recent transition from military service to civilian life, pain, sleep problems, homelessness, alcohol and substance use, dishonorable discharge, job loss, relationship loss, prescription mismanagement by medical providers, prescription misuse, and lack of a social safety net such as colleagues, family, and friends.

A study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that non-routine service discharge – discharges due to misconduct, personality disorders, and alcohol and substance use disorders – also predict elevated risk for suicidality.

The TBI/PTSD/suicide triad

Of the 5.8 million veterans who served in 2024, about 14 out of every 100 men (14%) and 24 out of every 100 women (24%) were diagnosed with PTSD.

Suitt and other experts have noted that the rise in the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on the battlefield since 9/11 (and compared to mid-20th century and earlier wars) has led to a rise in TBIs, which in turn have been associated with suicide risk.

A 2021 article in NCO Journal, the official publication for non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in the US Army, noted that TBIs are often accompanied by other injuries, both physical and/or mental. This is referred to as polytrauma. According to the article, “Common polytrauma from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars included PTSD and depression along with TBIs. In a recent clinical study of more than 16,000 veterans with deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan, nearly 25% suffered from PTSD, TBI, and chronic pain, more than any other singular condition or combination. This triad of PTSD, TBI, and chronic pain has also been associated with increased suicide rates among veterans.”

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Click here to follow James Donaldson's Blog

Raising awareness, providing support

In The White House’s 2021 Reducing Military and Veteran Suicide strategy, President Joe Biden wrote, “What signs did we miss? What more could we have done?” And the document calls suicide among service members, veterans, and their families a national crisis and complex problem with no single solution.

Some of the efforts the VA, Department of Defense, CDC, the White House, and nonprofit organizations are committed to over the next decade include:
- Foster a supportive environment for active service members
- Improve delivery of mental health care to active service members and veterans
- Address stigma and other barriers to care
- Update suicide prevention training within the DoD
- Promote and ensure firearm safety and storage
- Expand  access to suicide hotlines and mental health providers for service members, veterans, and their families
- Ongoing research to better understand suicide risk in the military
- Increase community-based programs, including those that connect veterans
- Improving resources that connect veterans to stable jobs and housing
- No-cost health care for veterans. As of Jan. 17, 2023, veterans in acute suicidal crisis are able to go to any VA or non-VA health care facility for emergency health care at no cost – including inpatient or crisis residential care for up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days. Veterans do not need to be enrolled in the VA system to use this benefit. https://news.va.gov/press-room/starting-jan-17-veterans-in-suicidal-crisis-can-go-to-any-va-or-non-va-health-care-facility-for-free-emergency-health-care/

Resources for Veterans and Their Families, and Friends

- Awareness information (for individuals at risk, family, friends, and colleagues) Practice SAVE – Signs, Ask, Validate, Encourage/Expedite
https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov
- Emery Healthcare Veteran’s Program https://www.emoryhealthcare.org/centers-programs/veterans-program
Treats post-9/11 veterans confidentially and at no cost who have conditions including PTSD, TBI, military sexual trauma, anxiety, and depression
- Health Care for Re-entry Veterans (HCRV) program https://www.va.gov/homeless/reentry.asp
HCVR helps to connect justice-involved veterans with VA and community services as they transition from incarceration into the community, facilitating access, to and engagement in, care. A recent analysis found that 56% of veterans seen by the HCRV program engaged with VA health care the following year, and that 93% of those diagnosed with a mental health condition entered treatment for that condition within a year. While this program illustrates the success of current efforts, greater efforts to enhance suicide prevention among this population of veterans remain necessary. https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-why-the-military-needs-to-talk-more-about-suicide-risk-before-and-after-service-2/

Photo by Craig Adderley on Pexels.com

A few years ago, a Florida mom, Janine Lutz, told the Marine Corps Times about her son Janos “John” Lutz, who enlisted when he was 19, served on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan, was medically retired in 2011, and died by suicide in 2013 at age 24. After her son’s death, Lutz established the Cpl. Janos V. Lutz Live to Tell Foundation, which aims to decrease veteran suicide as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – one of the conditions her son was diagnosed with – by raising awareness and providing support for returning veterans. Lutz and others similarly impacted also advocate for more, and better, government-provided suicide prevention resources.“The United States Marines train our combat veterans for 1 year to become experts in the application of violence but they failed to untrain them so they could reintegrate back into society,” she wrote on her nonprofit organization’s website.

Healing “invisible war wounds”

PTSD, major depression, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and other traumas inflicted by war that aren’t immediately apparent to the eye are often referred to as the “invisible wounds of war.” Unlike physical injuries from combat, they can’t be seen by other service members, family, friends, colleagues, and society in general. Yet they can have a significant impact on the mental health of an active service member or veteran.

While the connection between PTSD and TBI and their impact on suicide ideation and suicide attempt are ongoing topics of research, one study found that veterans with multiple brain injuries are twice as likely to consider suicide compared with those with one or none. Other research that analyzed data from the National Comorbidity Survey showed that PTSD – out of six anxiety diagnoses – was significantly associated with suicidal ideation or suicide attempts.

Suicide rate and US military veterans

The United States Marines train our combat veterans for 1 year to become experts in the application of violence but they failed to untrain them so they could reintegrate back into society”

While the US Department of Defense has been working to better understand and establish resources for active military and veterans at risk for suicide, deaths due to suicide are still a tragic piece of the US military’s story.In 2023, there were approximately 15.8 million military veterans in the United States — about 6.1% of U.S. adults. Every day, about 18 of those veterans die by suicide, according to the 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, compiled by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Suicide rates among veterans have climbed since 9/11, the VA reports. In 2001, the suicide rate for veterans was 23.3 per 100,000. By 2022, that figure had increased to 34.7 per 100,000 veterans.The table below details variation in the number of Veteran suicides, by year from 2001 to 2022

Suicide was the 12th-leading cause of death for Veterans in 2022, and the 2nd-leading cause of death for Veterans under age 45-years-old.What’s more, veterans die by suicide at a higher rate than the national average, according to the VA. In 2020, the age- and sex-adjusted suicide rate among veterans was 57.3% higher than the age- and sex-adjusted rate among non-veteran U.S. adults.In his 2021 paper for Brown University’s Cost of War Project, Thomas Suitt’s findings indicate that the years after war are more lethal than war itself. Suitt estimated that “30,177 active duty personnel and veterans of the post 9/11 wars have died by suicide, significantly more than the 7,057 service members killed in post-9/11 war operations.” In an interview with NPR in 2021 when the paper came out, Suitt said, “Even the very conservative estimate that I came up with, it’s horrifying.”

Suicide rates by race and ethnicity

In the VA’s 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, unadjusted Veteran suicide rates were reported by race. The suicide rate was highest among White Veterans at 34.2 per 100,000. The suicide rate was 30.2 per 100,000 among Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander veterans; 29.8 per 100,000 among American Indians or Alaska Native veterans; and 14.2 per 100,000 among Black or African American veterans.

According to an analysis by Military.com, when tallied by percentages, rates of suicide are higher among veterans who are in racial minority groups. A 2024 article on the site stated, “Based on data from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Defense Department, the suicide risk among service members and veterans of Asian American and Pacific Islander descent (AAPI) was 350% higher than the national average, and the per capita rate for Black and Hispanic vets and troops was twice the national average in 2021, the last year for which data was available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, VA and DoD.”

Female veterans and suicide

Suicide deaths among female veterans are different in some ways – including a drop in deaths. According to the 2024 VA report, in 2022, there were 271 suicides among female veterans (80 fewer than in 2021) compared to 6,136 among male veterans (83 more than in 2021). The poisoning suicide mortality rate was higher for female veterans than for male veterans, who were more likely to die by suicide by firearm and suffocation. But the firearm suicide rate among female veterans was 144.4% higher than for female non-veteran adults.

Experiencing sexual trauma while in the military is also associated with suicide. Among female veterans who used VA health services, the suicide rate was 75.0% higher for those who screened positive for military sexual trauma …”

Experiencing sexual trauma while in the military is also associated with suicide. Among female veterans who used VA health services, the suicide rate was 75.0% higher for those who screened positive for military sexual trauma (24.95 per 100,000) than for female veterans with negative screens (14.26 per 100,000). In her book “Hollow: A Memoir of My Body in the Marines,” Bailey Williams – who was 18 when she joined the Marine Corps, leaving behind a strict Mormon upbringing – talks about the trauma of sexual assault during her time in the Marines. And keeping silent about it. In a 2024 interview on NPR’s “Fresh Air” show, Williams said, “I felt that it would not be taken seriously.” Or if it was taken seriously, she said, “It was going to be my life that got harder and not his.”

Active military and suicide

Veterans aren’t the only ones at risk. In 2023, 523 active service members died by suicide – more than the previous year (493), according to a Department of Defense Annual Report on Suicide in the Military released in November of 2024. Firearms were the primary method of suicide death for service members (65%). The report also noted that suicide rates among active service members have gradually risen since 2011, and that most were young, enlisted men.

Risk factors for suicide

Studies, medical experts, and VA reports have pointed to a broad range of risk factors and issues associated with suicidal thinking (ideation) and suicide among active service members and veterans. They include PTSD, TBI, sexual trauma experienced while serving in the military, multiple deployments, recent transition from military service to civilian life, pain, sleep problems, homelessness, alcohol and substance use, dishonorable discharge, job loss, relationship loss, prescription mismanagement by medical providers, prescription misuse, and lack of a social safety net such as colleagues, family, and friends.A study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that non-routine service discharge – discharges due to misconduct, personality disorders, and alcohol and substance use disorders – also predict elevated risk for suicidality.

The TBI/PTSD/suicide triad

Of the 5.8 million veterans who served in 2024, about 14 out of every 100 men (14%) and 24 out of every 100 women (24%) were diagnosed with PTSD.

Suitt and other experts have noted that the rise in the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on the battlefield since 9/11 (and compared to mid-20th century and earlier wars) has led to a rise in TBIs, which in turn have been associated with suicide risk.

A 2021 article in NCO Journal, the official publication for non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in the US Army, noted that TBIs are often accompanied by other injuries, both physical and/or mental. This is referred to as polytrauma. According to the article, “Common polytrauma from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars included PTSD and depression along with TBIs. In a recent clinical study of more than 16,000 veterans with deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan, nearly 25% suffered from PTSD, TBI, and chronic pain, more than any other singular condition or combination. This triad of PTSD, TBI, and chronic pain has also been associated with increased suicide rates among veterans.”

#James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleFind out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundationwebsite www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Click here to follow James Donaldson's Blog

Raising awareness, providing support

In The White House’s 2021 Reducing Military and Veteran Suicide strategy, President Joe Biden wrote, “What signs did we miss? What more could we have done?” And the document calls suicide among service members, veterans, and their families a national crisis and complex problem with no single solution.

Some of the efforts the VA, Department of Defense, CDC, the White House, and nonprofit organizations are committed to over the next decade include:

- Foster a supportive environment for active service members

- Improve delivery of mental health care to active service members and veterans

- Address stigma and other barriers to care

- Update suicide prevention training within the DoD

- Promote and ensure firearm safety and storage

- Expand  access to suicide hotlines and mental health providers for service members, veterans, and their families

- Ongoing research to better understand suicide risk in the military

- Increase community-based programs, including those that connect veterans

- Improving resources that connect veterans to stable jobs and housing

- No-cost health care for veterans. As of Jan. 17, 2023, veterans in acute suicidal crisis are able to go to any VA or non-VA health care facility for emergency health care at no cost – including inpatient or crisis residential care for up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days. Veterans do not need to be enrolled in the VA system to use this benefit. https://news.va.gov/press-room/starting-jan-17-veterans-in-suicidal-crisis-can-go-to-any-va-or-non-va-health-care-facility-for-free-emergency-health-care/

Resources for Veterans and Their Families, and Friends

- Awareness information (for individuals at risk, family, friends, and colleagues) Practice SAVE – Signs, Ask, Validate, Encourage/Expeditehttps://www.mentalhealth.va.gov

- Emery Healthcare Veteran’s Program https://www.emoryhealthcare.org/centers-programs/veterans-programTreats post-9/11 veterans confidentially and at no cost who have conditions including PTSD, TBI, military sexual trauma, anxiety, and depression

- Health Care for Re-entry Veterans (HCRV) program https://www.va.gov/homeless/reentry.aspHCVR helps to connect justice-involved veterans with VA and community services as they transition from incarceration into the community, facilitating access, to and engagement in, care. A recent analysis found that 56% of veterans seen by the HCRV program engaged with VA health care the following year, and that 93% of those diagnosed with a mental health condition entered treatment for that condition within a year. While this program illustrates the success of current efforts, greater efforts to enhance suicide prevention among this population of veterans remain necessary.

- National Call Center for Homeless Veterans https://www.va.gov

- National Center for PTSD https://www.ptsd.va.gov/

- Real Warriors Campaign https://www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Centers-of-Excellence/Psychological-Health-Center-of-Excellence/Real-Warriors-Campaign Established in 2009, and expanded in 2023, the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Real Warriors Campaign (RWC) is a public health campaign designed to decrease stigma, increase psychological health literacy, and open doors to access to care by encouraging psychological health help seeking among active duty service members, veterans, and their families.

Photo by Craig Adderley on Pexels.com https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=16106

James Donaldson on Mental Health - Tips for Going Places With Sensory-Challenged Kids

Planning outings and activities to maximize fun and minimize meltdowns

Writer: Rae Jacobson, MS

What You'll Learn

- Why can going out be hard for kids with sensory processing issues?
- How can parents make going places easier for kids?
- What are some sensory-friendly strategies?
- Quick Read
- Full Article
- Give lots of warning
- Make space for sensory time
- Make a go-bag
- Have an exit strategy
- Look for sensory-friendly activities

Kids with sensory processing issues often find going places challenging. Crowds, noise, bright lights, and more can make ordinary outings difficult. And even a plan that’s kid-friendly — like a trip to the ice cream store — can turn into a meltdown if kids aren’t prepared. Planning and preparation are key to going places with sensory-challenged kids. Here are some tips to help everyone to have a good time.

Surprise changes, like going from one place to another, can be hard for kids. When kids know what to expect, they feel more prepared and less stressed. Having a clear route and giving kids lots of warning about upcoming changes can help.

When you’re making the schedule, ask your child to participate. Helping out will make it easier to remember what’s planned and they may even have ideas of their own! After you make the schedule, go over it together. That way your child can see what’s coming and when.

When you do go out, make a plan for what to do if your child feels overwhelmed and needs to calm down. This could be sitting in the car, taking a walk, or just putting headphones on for a little while.

It can also help to bring a sensory-friendly kit. Pack a bag with things that help your child feel calm. Some ideas include noise-cancelling headphones, sunglasses, toys to fidget with, or their favorite stuffed animal. Anything that helps them feel more relaxed and less stressed.

Even with the best planning, kids may still feel overwhelmed sometimes. If you see that your child is reaching a breaking point, don’t wait to leave. Leaving before kids melt down, not after, will help you both feel more confident about going out again.

One of the challenges of raising kids with sensory processing issues is that outings, even ones that promise a lot of fun, can easily turn into nightmares if kids find themselves in surprising or overwhelming situations.

A child who is oversensitive to stimulation can find an ordinary supermarket or restaurant unbearable because of noise, bright lighting, or crowds. But even an excursion that’s kid friendly — a trip to the ice cream store — can induce a meltdown if the child hasn’t had time to adjust to the idea.

That’s why planning and preparation are key to going places with sensory-challenged kids. Here are some tips (tested by experts and moms!) to help you get going and allow everyone to have a good time.

Give lots of warning

Unexpected transitions and novel sensory environments can turn going out into a meltdown minefield for kids with sensory processing issues.

Why are these kids so easily upset by changes in routine? Lindsey Biel, a pediatric occupational therapist who specializes in sensory processing challenges, explains that kids who are not getting optimal and reliable information from their senses often feel uncomfortable and out of control. Predictability allows them to feel more secure. Changes in routine threaten that sense of security, and can trigger meltdowns.

To make outings easier, start by creating a clear, reliable schedule, so everyone knows what to expect and when.

Advance warning gives kids a structure they can rely on and get comfortable with. It also allows ample time for you to work together to plan sensory friendly approaches to new activities.

“It really helps to give information way in advance about where we’re going and what’s going to happen when we get there,” says Erin, a mom whose blog Putting Socks On Chickens focuses on her experience raising a son with sensory processing issues. “For a long time, I’d let him know what to expect from the day each morning, but it just wasn’t enough warning for him.”

Making and following a monthly schedule has made a big difference in her son’s behavior, she says. “Now we use the schedule as a way of giving him as much notice as possible, so everyone is better prepared and outings go much more smoothly.”

Some schedule tips:

- Let kids have input. When you’re making the schedule, ask your child to participate. Contributing to the process will help them remember what’s on the schedule and they may even have ideas of their own!
- Share the schedule. Going over it often helps remind your child of what’s coming and when. “We keep it written down where my son can see it,” says Erin. Seeing the day laid out is a huge help. “He’ll look at the schedule and say, ‘Okay, so we have this birthday party, but when it’s over and we get home I have free time.” This way, says Erin, activities that used to cause meltdowns have become things he can enjoy.
- Stick to the schedule. Of course unexpected things come up sometimes, but doing your best to stay on track will help kids know they can rely on the schedule and feel confident in knowing what to expect.

Make space for sensory time

Having a safe space designated where a kid can go if they are having a hard time is important. When you’re preparing for an activity, try making this part of the plan.

“Often a child who’s easily over-stimulated will do fine if they can walk away for a little bit every half hour or so,” says Biel, whose most recent book is Sensory Processing Challenges: Effective Clinical Work with Kids & Teens. Depending on their age and level of sensory awareness, kids may need to take different approaches to time-outs.

- Kids who are more self-aware can initiate these breaks on their own. This can be a great way to help them build self-regulating skills. If your child is ready to try scheduling their own breaks, agree on a safe place for them to go where they can still be seen by the grown-up in charge. For example, taking a time out on the couch is okay, but leaving the yard or getting in the car without an adult is not.
- Kids who are less able to self-regulate might need some parental intervention. If you notice your child starting to become overwhelmed, try suggesting a walk or taking a 10-minute break in the air conditioned car.

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Click here to follow James Donaldson's Blog

Make a go-bag

Filling a backpack with pre-established things that are calming and helpful gives children easy access to tools that help them feel more at ease. Sensory bags don’t need to be complicated, says Biel, who recommends carrying “anything that helps to calm and reorganize the child.” Making a go-bag can be a fun activity to do together and gives your child more control over their sensory experience when they’re on the go. Some go-bag ideas include:

- Noise-cancelling earmuffs
- Good-quality sunglasses
- A wide-brimmed hat
- Headphones and an MP3 player with their favorite music or games
- Fidget toys like Silly Putty, a worry stone, or anything else that helps them feel relaxed
- Their favorite stuffed animal or toy
- Chewing gum
- A weighted blanket or lap-pad
- Bottled water and healthy snacks to help them stay hydrated and avoid hunger crashes during long days

To make it easy for your child to access their go-bag, try putting everything in a backpack or fanny pack so they can comfortably carry it with them.

Have an exit strategy

Sometimes, no matter how many strategies you have in place, things just become to overwhelming for kids with sensory issues. When that happens it’s time to go. “Don’t wait until he’s on the brink of a meltdown,” says Biel. “Have a reasonable exit strategy in place and be ready to use it if the time comes.”

- Set up a signal. Make it something simple and subtle, like a wave. “Giving them a graceful way to let you know they’ve had enough lets them have some control over things, which lets you both relax a little,” says Biel.
- Go means go. If you can see that your child is reaching their breaking point, don’t wait to leave. Remember, the goal is to help them recognize their sensory limits and learn to gradually expand them. Pushing them past their breaking point might lead to meltdowns and make them feel more anxious about your next outing, not less.

If you have two kids with different needs, remember to consider each child. One child may be fine at a party for hours but another may need to leave after one. Whenever possible, do your best to set something up in advance so both kids can have a positive experience.

- Ask another parent if they would be willing to drive one of your children home so that you are free to leave if it becomes necessary.
- If there’s no way to organize an alternative means of transportation, talk to both kids beforehand and agree on a leaving time. That way everyone will be on the same page.

Look for sensory-friendly activities

Once you’ve settled on strategies that work for you and your child, you can start adding more fun activities to the schedule. An increasing number of museums, theme parks, movie theaters, and other institutions offer sensory-friendly events and shows. These often feature reduced noise levels, lower light, and no-applause rules. If you’re considering taking your child to the movies or a show, try doing an Internet search for sensory smart events in your area.

https://standingabovethecrowd.com/james-donaldson-on-mental-health-tips-for-going-places-with-sensory-challenged-kids/