Veteran Suicides
The Veterans Administration released results of the latest study about veteran suicides. The combination of the release, comments from other veterans and an article about veteran suicides in VA Hospital parking lots saddened me.
Veterans accounted for 18% of all deaths from suicide among U.S. adults.1 Veterans only made up 8% of the 2016 estimated adult population.2
Since 2001, U.S. adult civilian suicides increased 23%, while Veteran suicides increased 32% in the same period.1
This article claimed veterans killed themselves in VA parking lots when they didn’t get assistance. I found two suicides in news articles for the past year in line with the theory.
Lack of treatment isn’t the only thing that contributes to veteran suicides, but it does contribute. A veterans’ group I’m a member of contains less than 7,000 veterans. At least one member weekly writes about frustrations from denied claims or inadequate treatment. In the period of a week, one veteran reached out to the group for support through a rough patch of PTSD. Another veteran spoke about how the lack of treatment by the VA for a shoulder injury caused her to consider suicide. I tried to register my main condition from serving in the Gulf War. The operator wouldn’t set me up with an appointment for review. He told me he couldn’t set up the appointment “in good conscience.” From the veteran side of things, the VA reform hasn’t trickled down yet.
I don’t know what I can do to better support other veterans. I am supportive of the people I know. It just doesn’t feel like that is enough. I don’t have a lot of answers at this point, only questions. One thing I do know. In the service, people who have a similar experience to you surround you. When you separate and return to your hometown, it’s hard to find people to talk to who might understand. There are a lot of disparate non-profit organizations across the country, but when someone is deep in crisis, they need help immediately. They don’t have a couple of weeks to research and determine things like which organization services their need, which organization is real, which organization is a scam. They certainly do not have years to fight a losing battle with the VA system.
Veterans Crisis Line 1-800-273-8255 Press 1
https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
1https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2801
2https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/
2https://www.va.gov/vetdata/veteran_population.asp
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/mar/7/paul-shuping-navy-veteran-commits-suicide-in-va-pa/
Sloane Talest 