On Average, A Veteran Commits Suicide Every 65 Minutes

Have you not heard of the #22-A-Day campaign that's been around for several years now?

My dad is part of that number. He was a Vietnam vet and couldn’t deal with what he saw or did over there. He took his life in 2010 at the age of 66. He was in therapy at the VA but couldn’t overcome it.
PTSD is real.

That is absolutely horrific.God bless our amazing veterans everywhere.

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Is there simply not enough mental healthcare infrastructure that it's overwhelming to the VA/Other so it's just a wait and see approach?

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You nailed it. We, as a country, have gutted mental healthcare budgets for years now. This is an odd fact being that it runs counter to the supposed renewed focus and attention mental health issues are receiving. It is almost as if it is lip-service with little or no substance.

This coupled with the resistance to treatment/help in the Veteran community, for whatever reason, be it their training, their natural inclination, or a combination of the two, makes reaching them difficult. It is a sad situation all the way around.

Very sad statistic. I am fortunate to have good resources as needed at my local VA. I am grateful for that.

I lost a battle buddy to suicide five years ago. One thing that I still think about from our conversations is how he would tell me he never thought about suicide until the VA started reminding him of it every time he called or visited a facility. He couldn’t do anything without a canned message telling him that if he’s thinking about suicide, there’s help.

Clearly that’s not the right approach. It’s still that way, as I endure the same messaging every time I need something.

I met a very young Iraqi veteran who was having problems. His first assignment as a very young soldier was morgue duty. I can only imagine the mangled bodies he saw. I don’t know how anyone can be prepared for that. God Bless all our Veterans.

Anyone know how this suicide rate compares to average population per 10,000 (or some normalizing denominator)?

1 every 65 minutes seems awfully high and that relative comparison would emphasize the difference versus average.

To prevent future generations from having to deal with this, we must completely change our mentality about war. We allow the media and evil politicians to scare us into supporting a monstrous foreign policy that results in tens of thousands of veterans coming home with serious mental issues. Until we stop policing the world, stop invading countries under the guise of fighting terrorism and stop nation building, this mental health epidemic will never stop. And that requires each and every American who values the lives of veterans to make foreign policy their number one voting issue. There isn't a hell hot enough for politicians who send our troops across the world to fight so the political class and its donors can make another billion.

Out of my platoon of 45, we have had 8 suicides since we have been home. Its a combination of things. My secret has been to immerse myself in my work and my wife/kids. I have also mostly quit drinking entirely. That has been a huge help.

When I went to combat the first time, I had some college under my belt and a trajectory already in place. When I got out, I pursued a graduate degree and that took up all my time/energy. When you exhaust yourself with other things, you don't have time to dwell on things. Not everyone has this luxury. When I went the second time, I had my degree and alot of options when I got home. In other words, where a person was before they were in the service can play a huge role in where they end up. For most of us, our time in service was the best we will ever be in life. I know it was for me. I will never be that strong, fast, witted or alert again. I think that is true of most everyone.

Now imagine the guy who comes home having seen whatever he sees, but he is now home with no post HS education, no good job prospects, a history of family poverty, crime or substance abuse. Or someone whose wife can't deal with his post-deployment shite and leaves, taking his kids. Or he can't find or keep a job because of untreated issues. These things can all snowball and make someone give up fast. This is not in indictment of military service, but the horrors of war change people and can have a paralyzing effect on simple tasks of life that seem effortless to the average person. This leads to anger, sorrow and hopelessness. Then you turn to drugs, alcohol and eventually end it all.

I still have battles with the demons, but I have learned to recognize the triggers and avoid them if possible. Staying busy is the key.

One thing I have learned over the past few years is that you have a very small window to reach people in this kind of distress. If you are not paying attention, you may miss it and by the time you realize it, its too late.