Taking Calls From Veterans on the Brink

[unhappycamper]

Leslie Smith, 30, talks to a veteran contemplating suicide during a shift at the Department of Veterans Affairs suicide prevention hot line in Canandaigua, N.Y.


Taking Calls From Veterans on the Brink
By JAMES DAO
Published: July 30, 2010

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — Melanie Poorman swiveled in her chair and punched a button on the phone. The caller, an Iraq war veteran in his 30s, had recently broken up with his girlfriend and was watching a movie, “Body of War,” that was triggering bad memories. He started to cry.

And he had a 12-gauge shotgun nearby. Could someone please come and take it away, he asked.

Ms. Poorman, 54, gently coaxed the man into unloading the weapon. As a co-worker called the police, she stayed on the line, talking to him about his girlfriend, his work, the war. Suddenly, there were sirens. “I unloaded the gun!” she heard him shout. And then he hung up. (He was taken to a hospital, she learned later.)

Ms. Poorman sat back and took a deep breath. “That was an easy one,” she said. The hard ones are “angry, angry, angry — they have intent, they have a plan, and they have no desire for help,” she said. But they call anyway.

~snip~

It was just an average night at the Department of Veterans Affairs suicide prevention hot line in central New York. Over here, Rebecca talked to a drunken man who was seeing people he had killed. Over there, Katie was on the line with a bipolar man having nightmares. Across the room, Virginia tried to calm a man who had refused to take his medication and was threatening to run headlong into traffic.

[PJPhreak]

1. I have to commend these people on a job that there is no I could Do.

The stress would take me out.

Thank you,Leslie,Melanie,Rebecca,Katie and Virginia. There are no words to convey the help All Ya'll give.

[w8liftinglady]

2. I am grateful to them.They have helped so many ...

from the sliver of info my son gives me,there is a large percentage of soldiers contemplating suicide.Of course,he is the one with anger issues.we spent several hours the other week with him blowing off steam.I wish I could convince him to check out outpatient VA services...he would really benefit from them,He did agree to join IAVA,which has chat boards for soldiers...maybe someone above me can help him...

[whathehell]

3. Yes...there are also organizations like "Give an Hour"...in which

professional psychologists, psychiatrists, etc. donate counseling time anonymously and without charge to Veterans, especially those of Iraq/Afghanistan.

Let me check them (and any others) and I'll send you the links.

[w8liftinglady]

10. I appreciate that...the only prob is...how to communicate with him?

...and let him know.I'll see if their site has info that can be mailed directly to him...

[whathehell]

5. Here you go, W8tlifting Lady....I googled and found this...Give an Hour and Other Groups, some free,

giving mental health care to Vets.

I hope your son gets help:hug:


Partnership with "Give an Hour" | Benefits News | Veterans AdvantageSpecial to Veterans Advantage Give an Hour Give Help Give Hope In a special new partnership, Veterans Advantage announced it's support of Give an Hour, ...
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[w8liftinglady]

11. thanks so much...I'm going to check it out now..

[whathehell]

12. You're very welcome....I hope it helps. n/t

[pinboy3niner]

8. Has your son checked out the Vet Centers?

They are low-key, much more informal and more-accessible than the clinics.

[area51]

4. Way to go, republinazis.

Look what your perpetual wars of choice and multiple tours of duty are doing to our troops.

[lunatica]

6. But by all means lets surge the war

Americans have fucking blinders on, where they only get to see one fraction of everything. Turn to one side and they see how great war is because that's what they see and they cheer. Turn to the other and they see the god damned fallout of all that glory and they weep and rush to help. But what's to their right and what's to their left are never seen as being related.

Bah! They speak out of two sides of their mouths. Patriotism is good if you sacrifice yourself for the honorable causes of our wars, but don't fucking ask us to pay you for it. Wounded in your body or your head? Fuck off. You're of no use to us anymore. Next!

And it happens every single time. EVERY SINGLE TIME WE GO TO WAR.

[amborin]

7. K&R

[pinboy3niner]

9. K&R