25 Facts About Psych Meds, Soldiers, & Suicide

[celtic_crippler]

1) 33% of the U.S. Army is on prescription medications, and nearly a quarter of those are on psychotropic drugs

2) In 2010, the Pentagon spent $280 million on psychiatric drugs. That number has since risen.

3) There are now over 8,000 suicides each year by U.S. soldiers and veterans; that’s over 22 a day

4) 33% of those suicides are attributed to medication side effects

5) That means medications are killing more U.S. soldiers and veterans than Al-Qaeda

6) 500% more soldiers abuse prescription drugs than illegal street drugs

7) Under the Obama administration, the number of veterans waiting for VA care has risen from 11,000 in 2009 to 245,000 today

8) More active duty soldiers die from suicide than from combat: 349 dead last year

9) The number of prescriptions for Ritalin and Adderall written for active-duty soldiers has increased 1,000% in the last five years

10) For every active-duty service member who dies in battle, 25 veterans die by suicide

11) Only 1 percent of Americans have served in the Middle East, but veterans of combat there make up 20% of all suicides in the United States

12) The suicide rate of active-duty soldiers in the Civil War was only 9 – 15 per 100,000 soldiers. The suicide rate of active-duty U.S. soldiers in the Middle East is 23 per 100,000. And casualty rates were far higher in the Civil War, meaning the Civil War was more psychologically traumatic.

13) In the Korean War, the suicide rate among active-duty military soldiers was only 11 per 100,000

14) To date, the Pentagon has spent more than a billion dollars on psychiatric drugs, making it one of the largest customers of Big Pharma

15) In 2010, over 213,000 active-duty military personnel were taking medications considered “high risk” by the Pentagon

16) In the years since the Iraq War began, twice as many soldiers of the Texas Army National Guard have died of suicide than in combat

17) Defense Secretary Leon Panetta calls military suicides an “epidemic”

18) Of all the branches of the military, the Army has the highest number of suicides each year, almost 400% more than the Marines

19) Most active-duty soldiers who take psychiatric medications consume a combination of three to five prescriptions

20) The use of prescription medications by active-duty soldiers is largely unregulated. Soldiers are given a bottle of meds and sent into combat. If they run out of meds, they are given a refill, no questions asked.

21) The mainstream media says the answer to lowing suicides of veterans is to take away their guns so that they cannot shoot themselves. This is the logical equivalent to trying to fix your car’s engine by removing the “check engine” light.

22) The Pentagon is initiating new research (in 2013) to try to figure out why psychiatric medications cause soldiers to commit suicide. The research involves tracking brain activity by attaching electrodes to the skull.

23) One-third of military suicides are committed by soldiers who have never seen combat

24) In the last year, the military wrote over 54,000 prescriptions for Seroquel to soldiers, and all those prescriptions were “off label,” meaning the intended use has never been approved by the FDA as safe or effective.

25) Dr. Bart Billings, a retired Army Colonel and former military psychologist, refers to psychiatric drugs as a “chemical lobotomy” for soldiers

Interesting.

http://www.naturalnews.com/039473_psychiatric_drugs_soldiers_suicides.html

 

[oftheherd1]

1) 33% of the U.S. Army is on prescription medications, and nearly a quarter of those are on psychotropic drugs

So that's what, 8 1/4 percent, many of whom are maybe being treated for diabetes, chronic pain, colds, or who knows what else.

2) In 2010, the Pentagon spent $280 million on psychiatric drugs. That number has since risen.

3) There are now over 8,000 suicides each year by U.S. soldiers and veterans; that’s over 22 a day

4) 33% of those suicides are attributed to medication side effects

Some people do indeed find they are more inclined to contemplate suicide when taking antidepressants.

5) That means medications are killing more U.S. soldiers and veterans than Al-Qaeda

6) 500% more soldiers abuse prescription drugs than illegal street drugs

I guess people who want to abuse drugs go after what is easyist. Not to mentione prescription drugs don't land you in jail.

7) Under the Obama administration, the number of veterans waiting for VA care has risen from 11,000 in 2009 to 245,000 today

8) More active duty soldiers die from suicide than from combat: 349 dead last year

You already mentioned that.

9) The number of prescriptions for Ritalin and Adderall written for active-duty soldiers has increased 1,000% in the last five years

The number of US soldiers who continue to have multiple tours has increased as well. I can't tell you the percentage.

10) For every active-duty service member who dies in battle, 25 veterans die by suicide

11) Only 1 percent of Americans have served in the Middle East, but veterans of combat there make up 20% of all suicides in the United States

There is no question that combat is not a natural state to find oneself in. Some never learn to cope with it. Although I think we have a better handle on it than before, I think we have probably always had a high rate of suicide, it just wasn't tracked.

12) The suicide rate of active-duty soldiers in the Civil War was only 9 – 15 per 100,000 soldiers. The suicide rate of active-duty U.S. soldiers in the Middle East is 23 per 100,000. And casualty rates were far higher in the Civil War, meaning the Civil War was more psychologically traumatic.

They were in it for the long haul and they didn't get to go home every six months, knowing they would have to return in 18 months or less. That has to play on some soldiers minds more that others.

13) In the Korean War, the suicide rate among active-duty military soldiers was only 11 per 100,000

See above. Other than careerists, most knew they would only have one tour. If they survived that tour, they were done.

14) To date, the Pentagon has spent more than a billion dollars on psychiatric drugs, making it one of the largest customers of Big Pharma

From some things I have heard, there does seem to be a great reliance on medications.

15) In 2010, over 213,000 active-duty military personnel were taking medications considered “high risk” by the Pentagon

That's a pretty high number for just Army, and I see you using military personnel over soldiers. Still, whatever high risk is, that is a lot of people.

16) In the years since the Iraq War began, twice as many soldiers of the Texas Army National Guard have died of suicide than in combat

That is a curious statistic. Any reason given?

17) Defense Secretary Leon Panetta calls military suicides an “epidemic”

18) Of all the branches of the military, the Army has the highest number of suicides each year, almost 400% more than the Marines

The Army is about 2 1/2 times larger than the Marines, but I wonder if there is a difference in duties or discipline that might account for it?

19) Most active-duty soldiers who take psychiatric medications consume a combination of three to five prescriptions

20) The use of prescription medications by active-duty soldiers is largely unregulated. Soldiers are given a bottle of meds and sent into combat. If they run out of meds, they are given a refill, no questions asked.

21) The mainstream media says the answer to lowing suicides of veterans is to take away their guns so that they cannot shoot themselves. This is the logical equivalent to trying to fix your car’s engine by removing the “check engine” light.

I wonder what the percentage of suicides is by guns versus other means?

22) The Pentagon is initiating new research (in 2013) to try to figure out why psychiatric medications cause soldiers to commit suicide. The research involves tracking brain activity by attaching electrodes to the skull.

You alluded to the effect above. Different people react differently to antidepressants. I don't know why the drug companies haven't jumped on that other then fear of losing prescription counts.

23) One-third of military suicides are committed by soldiers who have never seen combat

When I was in Vietnam, I noted those in the rear areas were more likely to exagerate or flat out lie about their "combat" experiences. They were also more inclined to use drugs. Perhaps the apparant feeling of not being as "good" as the actual combat soldiers works more on their minds.

24) In the last year, the military wrote over 54,000 prescriptions for Seroquel to soldiers, and all those prescriptions were “off label,” meaning the intended use has never been approved by the FDA as safe or effective.

25) Dr. Bart Billings, a retired Army Colonel and former military psychologist, refers to psychiatric drugs as a “chemical lobotomy” for soldiers

None of the above meant to be confrontational, just some things that sprung to mind as I read them.