To address mental health US military seeks, as suicides rise
In 2013 after finishing a tour in Afghanistan, Dionne Williamson felt emotionally numb. During several years of subsequent overseas postings more warning signs appeared. “It’s like I lost me somewhere”, Williamson said, a Navy lieutenant commander who experienced disorientation, depression, memory loss and chronic exhaustion. ‘Sir, I need help, ‘I went to my captain and said. Something’s wrong”. Williamson’s experiences shine a light on the realities for service members seeking mental health help, as the Pentagon seeks to confront spiralling suicide rates in the military ranks. Simply acknowledging their difficulties can be intimidating, for most. And what comes next can be frustrating and dispiriting. Williamson, 46, eventually found stability through a month-long hospitalization and a therapeutic program that incorporates horseback riding. To get the help she needed she had to fight for years. She said “It’s a wonder how I made it through”. The creation of an independent ...