Content warning: this story includes a discussion of the topic of suicide.
This season of Veterans’ Voices highlights the stories of people affected by and working to prevent veteran suicide. In the season finale, lead producer Seth Gordon has a conversation with David Smith, who served in the army from 2008 to 2014, and Diamond Smith, no relation, who also served in the Army for over eight years. They now work with the Veteran and Military Center at Wright State University.
Both say they were impacted by specific suicide prevention trainings they participated in while serving. For David, one training impressed upon him the importance of always answering the phone, especially if you know a veteran is going through a tough time.
The following transcript is lightly edited for length and clarity.
David Smith: If you haven't heard from them in a while, make sure that you're checking up on them because that phone call could make them feel wanted or needed. It's that little sliver, a sense of purpose and just a small window before somebody does something that, I'm not going to say they shouldn't because I didn't walk the mile in their shoes, but.
Diamond Smith: At Fort Bliss, I felt that a lot of us did not take seriously this training that they had called assist, it was the assist suicide intervention training program. I know that my unit always was like, 'You really want to get in this class because you get to wear civilian clothes'. That was the perk.
But when I took that class, I was like, 'Wow, this is a real, serious class.' I don't understand why anybody just wants to come here because we're wearing civilian clothes. Because you leave here absolutely depressed.
They're throwing everything up there. They're making you have real life scenarios of how do you know when someone really doesn't want to commit suicide, and that they really are looking for help.
Because they'll do things. They'll let you know. They'll let you know if they're depressed. They're not washing up. It's the subtitle signs that shows something's wrong. So say something to them instead of, passing it off like, 'Oh, they'll pull up out of it.'
Immediately after that class, a couple of months later, we're actually applying those things in my unit because we were getting ready for deployment. It was a unit who was absolutely not ready for a deployment. People are freaking out. Everyone's going to mental health. People truly are trying to commit suicide.
It was so crazy. I'm only an E-2. I'm 19, I think. I'm like, 'I can't believe just a couple of months ago I'm in this class.' I want to be there to wear civilian clothes, to wow, this is really depressing to wow, I'm really applying this at 19.
It needs to be made more apparent that it is okay to talk to a therapist, you're not crazy for talking to one, and that your career is not over.David Smith
Seth Gordon: What do you think is a way for either the VA, the DoD, or veterans themselves to address the above average suicide rate in the veteran community?
David: I think that, as a whole, from the military, the DoD and the VA, just make it socially acceptable to stand around the water cooler and say, 'It's all right to go talk to somebody, anybody. Just go talk to somebody that can help you.' Because it needs to be understood that your friends can only help you so far. You need a therapist. You have plenty of friends. You need a real therapist. And it's not fair to your friend or your family to use them as your therapist.
It needs to be made more apparent that it is okay to talk to a therapist, you're not crazy for talking to one, and that your career is not over. Your career can't be over for going to seek mental health. Maybe they should have an award for that, get a medal in the Army: I went to seek mental health. I don't know.
Diamond: I think that it should be made personal. I feel if it's made personal, people will feel more accepted. People will feel more like they want to do this. They're not feeling forced into it or like somebody is checking off the block, 'Go get mental health' but they don't really mean it.
I feel if you're genuinely being personal with it, 'Hey, I've experienced these things. I know somebody who's experienced these things or is going through these things. How can I help you?' I'm being genuine. I'm coming up with a list of phone numbers for help. I will walk you over to mental health myself. What do I need to do for you to show you that I truly do care and I'm not just checking off a block? That will help people get it out there.
Or just hearing this program here, hearing people's voices, listening to these kind of things. Because you can do it in private. Sometimes people don't want to do those things in person. They don't want to be around a group of people talking about how they need help. These kind of help aids where people are having a conversation and you can listen to it in the privacy of your car or your home and get help, get those resources and get it out there.
David: Sometimes it's not just about talking, sometimes just listen. If your friend is having a bad day, just shut up and listen. You don't have to say nothing. They don't want you to say anything sometimes. Just listen. And by listening, you learn a lot. Then, the next day or in a little bit, have a cool off period and ask a question or two.
Veterans' Voices is produced at the Eichelberger Center for Community Voices at WYSO. Support for the series comes from Wright-Patt Credit Union.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call 988 and dial 1 to access the Veterans Crisis Line.
