FORT LEE, Va. – The advice of suicide response expert, Dr. Sam Williams, was unabashedly blunt.
“Move toward them, don’t walk away,” he insisted. “Don’t dance around [words like suicide and are you going to kill yourself]. And remember that no amount of effort or feelings of discomfort are more costly than saving a life.”
He was the guest speaker at Fort Lee’s Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month kickoff breakfast Thursday morning at Memorial Chapel’s Family Life Center. Numerous installation leaders were in attendance including Maj. Gen. Mark T. Simerly, CASCOM and Fort Lee commanding general, Command Sgt. Maj. Marco A. Torres, CASCOM CSM, and Col. James D. Hoyman, garrison commander.
Providing introductory remarks, Simerly acknowledged the specially invited group of family member survivors of military suicides in attendance. He also thanked the many command teams in the room, noting that their presence “speaks volumes” about the top-down determination to stop the tragedy of any community member taking their own life.
“We have lost Soldiers, we have lost family members, and we have lost friends in our ranks, in our units and in our community,” Simerly pointedly said. “In the aftermath, we ask ourselves, ‘why did we lose them?’ … What do we wish we had done but did not do? What lessons did we learn?
“These are questions we should be asking ourselves constantly in the spirit of prevention,” he further observed. “We must consider the impacts of our behaviors within organizations – the decisions we make, and the efforts we resourced with time and energy to ensure we could connect with people … [and] create a sense of belonging.
“Thus the theme for the DOD Suicide Prevention Month effort, ‘Connect to Protect, Support is Within Reach.’ The Army theme reinforces that, ‘We’re all in this Together.’ Let’s promote that sense of belonging; that sense of connectedness that says we’re in this together, and we can get through this together.”
Williams – a professor of counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, where he has taught for 23 years – made it very clear up front that suicide is not an anomaly. While worldwide suicide rates have dropped by 20 percent over the past two decades, they have increased by 33 percent in the United States.
“In the military, your world, the rate of suicide deaths among active duty troops has climbed to its highest level since the great depression,” Williams said. “Loss to suicide is four times higher than deaths that have occurred during military operations over the past four years.”
Further shoring up his point, he said 10 percent of the population attempts suicide, 20 percent think about it and make a plan or rehearse how they’ll kill themselves, and 20 percent have suicidal ideations.
“Bottom line is that it’s not rare. It’s not uncommon. It’s typical. It’s half of us. It’s a part of the human condition,” Williams said.
He went on to talk about truths versus myths such as more people having suicidal thought during end-of-year holidays when statistically it happens more often in the spring and early summer. He noted how risk assessment is a lot like “building a puzzle without the box-top,” meaning that warning signs must be pieced together to recognize the big picture of a troubled individual. Things to look for include profound degrees of hopelessness, individual isolation, being evasive and/or deceptive, and being openly vocal about life having no meaning any longer.
“Yes, getting involved can be hard, and it can be uncomfortable. I get that,” Williams pointed out. “Many are afraid they’re going to say the wrong thing or misjudge the situation. … I’ve spent 40 years trying to figure out what to do with people, and I still don’t always know. However, it’s all about the act of moving toward someone with care and compassion; just that acknowledgment of saying ‘hey man, it looks like you’re really hurting and I want you to know that I care for you and I’m here for you. Sometimes that message can be the difference maker.”
After the talk, the leaders in attendance stepped forward to sign a prevention month pledge. The succinct first passage summed up the significance of the SAPM kickoff event, reading, “I am a leader. I will BE THERE doing all I can to protect human life, for nothing is more valuable.”
An ambitious slate of activities is planned at Fort Lee to raise awareness of suicide prevention and encourage community engagement. Highlights include the 9/11 observance to be held Sept. 9, 8:45 a.m., at the 1st Logistical Memorial adjacent to the CASCOM headquarters building. The annual Run for the Fallen takes place Sept. 10, 7 a.m., at Williams Stadium.
A prayer vigil is set for Sept. 14, 11:45 a.m. at Heritage Chapel. All community members are invited to a special presentation by suicide survivor David Barley planned for Sept 20, 10 a.m., at the Lee Theater. Signup is underway for a Sept. 22 Father/Daughter Ball from 6-10 p.m. in the Lee Club. Contact Ryan Mortensen at 804-462-3415. All community members are invited to a Connect to Protect Family Day event taking place at Williams Stadium Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Throughout the month, the Suicide Prevention Program team will be out in the community with displays, informational materials and invites to sign a #BeThere pledge.
Social Sharing