Military Suicides - 1010 Words

3 March 2015 Informative Speech Outline Title: Informative Speech Main Idea: Suicides and the Military Thesis Statement: At the end of my informative speech, my audience will know more about the Military Suicide Issue and how the number of military or veterans deaths by suicide has been increasing at an alarming rate, the common misconceptions about the possible reasons why current and former military members are taking their own lives and finally what is being done to try and resolve this issue. I. Introduction a. Attention-getter: Across the US there’s thousands upon thousands of members of an exclusive club that nobody wanted to join. I know it was a group I never wanted to join. We are known as Suicide Survivors, we are†¦show more content†¦Medicating the Military: Estimated that one in six soldiers, or roughly 17% of the active duty force is on psychiatric prescription medication. 20% military Suicides on antipsychotic medications. viii. Side Effects: Abnormal thoughts, increased depression, thoughts of suicide, and suicidal behavior. 7. One Soldier by the name of Kern accounts his experience with Paxil while on deployment in the Air Force Times: b. â€Å"I had three weapons: a pistol, my rifle and a machine gun, I started to think, ‘I could just do this and then it’s over.’ That’s where my brain was: ‘I can just put this gun right here and pull the trigger and I’m done. All my problems will be gone† (Tilghman). ix. How many men and women of our armed forces have experienced moments like this as a result of their medication? Out of those who have how many did not have the strength of mind not to follow through on these thoughts? III. Conclusion: f. Summarize: Although all the contributing factors behind military suicides are still not clear, stories like these make it very clear there are issues that need to be addressed. The military troops need to feel comfortable seeking help. When military members seek therapy or help, it needs to be more readily available to them. More studies need to be do ne to assess if there is a direct correlation between the rise in prescriptions and the surge in suicides. Soldiers on prescription anti-psychotics need toShow MoreRelatedMilitary Suicides Essay2679 Words   |  11 Pages Among American civilians, whites have historically and significantly led the way in the rates of suicides. Although leveling off after the 1990’s, the rate of white suicides has still been almost twice as much as minority groups. It has also been shown that males commit suicide significantly more than females. Figure 1 Figure 2 As the rate of suicides increases in our nation, it has risen consistently with white males leading the way, as shown in figures 1 and 2. There are many theoriesRead MoreEssay on Suicide in the Military2234 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿ Suicide in the Military Candace L. 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