Suicide indicates problems, but not physical ones. I knew an O-5 with an exceptional career and good family life who killed himself in his garage. No one knew why...but it probably was NOT a brain tumor.
Crash course here. Many times mental issues are too often the direct cause and affect of physical ones yes even depression or anxiety. The problem is doctors not following through and doing enough medical history work up.
Ever hear of shell shock? A physical or cognitive reaction triggered by say a sudden noise sometimes found in combat vets? OK Let's say SGT Joe was on a 155 for several years. Sgt Joe either in the field or later on after he gets out starts having problems with things like certain noises. Joe almost goes nuts. Why? The shrink at V.A. checks and says Joe you have anxiety and depression here have some Zoloft. Joe gets worse. If in his unit his work goes downhill. He gets tired real easy and jumpy. It becomes a game to walk up behind him and drop a clipboard.
Joe gets bad quarterly evals or looses his civilian job. The depression worsens. Joe looses a rank and come re-up time is not recommended for retention. Joe becomes a hated man in his unit and they are glad to see him gone.
Joe goes to his doctor. Doctor says you obviously need more Zoloft Joe. Joe takes more. Joe a few weeks later freaks out and either kills self or family screaming something like stop, go away, leave me alone, before it happens. That is worse case senerio.
Please bear with me a bit longer.Other scenario. Joe goes to the clinic. The doctors do a complete physical work up including checking Joe's hearing. The doctor comes in and says Joe you have hearing loss and likely Inner Ear damage. This can in some cases cause anxiety and depression and we think this might be wan issue with you so we want to treat this. OK Joe let's send you home on 90 days medical leave in which time you need to take some motion sickness medications and lets try you on a tranquilizer like Valium or Xanax at a low dose and see if that helps.
Joe takes the leave and reports back feeling somewhat better but not ready to return to his unit. The doctors says Joe it looks like the damage is permanent. This will not kill you but this is what is making you so on edge and depressed and we can treat it as you see. We are processing you out on medical disability. Joe safely goes home.
Am I a liar LOL? I had a cousin a NAM Vet. He had that happen to him after he came home. He was not the first Joe. He got the right help. He had damaged Inner Ears from childhood infections and his two tours. He spent thousands on testing and a semi retired General Practitioner told him the same thing I did a year earlier as to what was likely wrong. How do I know about this sort of stuff anyway?
In I've worked around loud turbine type noises in the Navy. I was at Ft Stewart in 1984 assigned to a Howitzer Battery at my local NG unit there on two weeks training.
I was an ammo hauler and it was night. We had delivered rounds , powder, and fuses to the guns and were hitting the hay about 75 feet from the guns. I was on the back rack of the truck asleep and didn't hear Fire Mission not that I had any clue as to what it meant anyway. A full battery shot went off.
Ten years later I am on disability for Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD. It took several years to determine I had Sensory Processing damage and the antidepressants were making it worse. At any point I could have became Joe number one. Not that I was a killer but because treatment number one in my case could trigger a medication reaction similar to taking LSD. You would be very surprised at the nuber of doctors writing scrips for antidepressants who never heard of Serotonin Syndrome.
My PTSD came from some civilian events after I got out that all added together caused a huge mess. I'm PTSD and depression free. But I still have what vets would refer too as shell shock. Actually I was born with it too a certain extent. Certain noises or visual events and I can not handle it as I will have seizures.
I got a related question for you. Wasn't there some stories about the Pentagon having troops taking meds in the field? I read the rumors and I'm not certain as too the validity. If they were SSRI type drugs they can cause serious behavioral and even deadly neurological issues in some folks who seem to be otherwise normal. I've seen a case of full blown adverse reaction to antidepressants before. It ain't something you want too see again.