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A seven-year-old second-grader attempted suicide while his father was serving yet another tour in Iraq. Seven years old. Seven. His mother was one of half a dozen military spouses I have spoken with about soldiers' kids who have attempted suicide during their fathers' deployments.
There's been a seemingly big effort in Vermont to provide services to military families of national guardsmen who will be deploying soon to avoid this. Hopefully it works.
of an American's life to that of a Middle Easterners?
Seems like its 1 to a 1,000,000 or more...
I was wondering how many Iraqis have killed each other in mosque/school/police department/polling places/pet market bombings compared with the US military death toll? I bets its a bigger number.....but we don't like to talk about that reality, do we?
What does a 7 year old know, or hear about, that would lead them to suicide? Many dad's are "gone" for long periods of time for various reasons but I've never heard of this.
I think more is going on with this kid and others like him.
Well, sickofnyc, you tried...1 understanding poster is more than you could have gotten. Children that
young aren't logical yet...that part of their brain is still developing. If the only relationship that they have with a parent is by phone or computer, all they understand is that mom or dad has been gone for years and they miss that relationship desperately. Children as young as seven have been diagnosed with depression without having a parent in the service; like arctichomesteader, I hope that the military can start working with these kids, and soon. There is and will continue to be stress on military families...the kids are depressed, dad has PTSD, and mom is trying to hold it all together.
I was wondering how many Iraqis have killed each other in mosque/school/police department/polling places/pet market bombings compared with the US military death toll? I bets its a bigger number.....but we don't like to talk about that reality, do we?
I tried to rep you but they say I need to spread the love around. It appears it is again becoming fashionable to hate the military....even if it means making light of the very real pain that the children of our service men and women feel. And yet terrorist planting bombs and IUDs are overlooked.
Well, sickofnyc, you tried...1 understanding poster is more than you could have gotten. Children that
young aren't logical yet...that part of their brain is still developing. If the only relationship that they have with a parent is by phone or computer, all they understand is that mom or dad has been gone for years and they miss that relationship desperately. Children as young as seven have been diagnosed with depression without having a parent in the service; like arctichomesteader, I hope that the military can start working with these kids, and soon. There is and will continue to be stress on military families...the kids are depressed, dad has PTSD, and mom is trying to hold it all together.
Actually the military IS trying to reach out and help these families. For families living on or near the bases there are family events and family counseling provided to those who have deployed family members. For those who are deployed from national guards and other state based units there are regular family days and events scheduled for those with deployed family members. We just had a big one in Madison last weekend. However, these families are facing so much pressure. They worry constantly about their deployed loved ones. The economy is taking a great toll on these families too and they are told that they must not burden the deployed person with these type of problems. I could go on in greater detail but the thing is that military families face pressures just not found elsewhere and it doesn't help when they feel that the country that their loved ones are serving hold that service in contempt. We can all agree that we hate these #$%^wars and want them ended. But people have to realize that the troops are our sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, siblings, etc. and they want to come home safely too. I watch little ones trying to keep from crying so they won't upset daddy and watch them learn to stuff their pain down inside of them and I can only wonder just how long lasting the damage will be to them.
Yes, other children have dads or moms that are gone for a long time but they don't have to hear people talking on the news and in the stores about people trying to blow up their dads or moms. And their dads or moms aren't gone for 13 months, home for 6 months and then gone for another 13 months over and over and over again. They just get use to dad or mom being home and then they are gone again. After awhile the kids just shut down because it is too hard to trust.
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