A Risk Assessment on My Comrade's Suicide-Potential - Essay Example

I had, and continue to have, a good share of risks -- be it at school, work, home, or community for which I serve. However, there are still those risky experiences or scenarios which seemed to test my core values and character, as a whole. One particular scenario, which this paper attempted to examine, is an encounter with my comrade’s attempted suicide. Description My comrade had been deployed for the longest time (around six years) in Base X and considers the base his second home. Though, as a soldier, he recognized and was trained to understand the mobilized nature of a soldier’s life.

He still felt unprepared after being informed of re-assignment. He was not only re-assigned to some far place, but also singled out of our troop (since only he was qualified for the particular mission). He was to spend one final week with us before his re-assignment. On the first two days, I observed his covert display of depression. With these observations, I resolved to profoundly check on him. Potential Consequences Mandel (2007) defined risk as referring “to the expected loss associated with an event” (p. 14). At that time, it was what I saw as a consequence of my comrade’s depression and my probable lack of intervention -- the loss of his life and the guilt-stricken me.

These potential consequences plagued and pushed me not to leave him alone and check on accessible firearms he could use. The Department of Health and Human Services (2001) acknowledged an individual’s “responsibility to intervene in a timely and effective manner” on suicide attempts (p. 78). Reflecting back, I seemed to strongly identify myself as having that responsibility. Probabilities Apart from his covert efforts in displaying depression, his words had a consistent sad tint in it. Though he tries to be elusive about how he feels or what he thinks, “out-of-character comments” would eventually slip.

Phrases like, “it’s never gonna be the same,” or “I think I’m weary” got followed with deep sighs and a sarcastic or cynical smile. In other words, though my comrade made an effort on sounding alright, his body language illustrate how he genuinely felt. On the days that followed, he showed signs of withdrawal. Our troop-mates would shrug at this and say that his just preparing to get used to it. However, I just went more suspicious. At one time, I saw him clean his rifle; and though cleaning is part of our routine, I cannot help but notice the way he looked at it -- it was with reverence and gloom.

All of my observations accounted to the higher probability of his suicidal attempt. Impact The risk factors I identified did not just have an impact on me and my comrade. The impact of the probable consequences will surely ricochet to his family, to our troop, and direct head. Though the possible taking of his own life is his decision; we, as part of our comrade’s support system, do have an immense culpability in fostering a ‘distanced environment’ that allows him to commit suicide. Risk Scale and Assessment On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is no risk and 10 is the devastating loss of material assets or life, my assessment of the risk involved in this solution (i.e. my intervention) is 8.

If my theory was wrong (i.e. his not going to commit suicide), then he would just laugh it off, recognize me as a true, caring comrade, and I would be extremely relieved. If my theory was right, then it would be crucial to be careful in my intervention. If I were hasty, or