SITUATION: An Army Veteran was referred to Stop Soldier Suicide in November of 2011. The Veteran’s family had abandoned him and moved away. He had also been fired from his job. Despondent, he sent a chilling text to his friend’s phone saying he could no longer find any reason to live. His friend reached out to Stop Soldier Suicide for help.
“This has got to be one of the best veteran/soldier organizations out there…. I had a friend who I had served with that was in a very bad place. He had sent me a message with a picture of a loaded shotgun saying, ‘I am out. Love you all. Thanks for your friendship while I was around. Take care.’I tried to reach him on his phone, but couldn’t. So I sent the police to his house. But what I needed was money to fly him to where I was so he could get help from the V.A. and try to get on his feet again. That’s where Stop Soldier Suicide came in. They sent money for an airline ticket immediately—no questions asked.Stop Soldier Suicide is by far the most understanding and helpful organization I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with and I wish nothing but the best for anyone affiliated with it.”
“One thing that sets Stop Soldier Suicide apart from other organizations out there is that these guys get it. They’re military as well; they’ve stood in formation; they’ve experienced all that we go through and they get it. They’re unique in their approach to the problem of suicide. They don’t set up shop at the edge of the cliff like a suicide hotline would do. They do their best work halfway up the mountain as problems are beginning to escalate and compound.
They focus on the problems that could be the difference between life and death.
In my case, I had lost custody of my youngest child through a series of unfortunate events. I couldn’t make money fast enough to pay child support and hire a lawyer to try to regain custody. My wife had already gone to jail twice for child support issues. My marriage was slipping away and it was only a matter of time before either she or I was going to jail with no way of getting enough money to get out.
One trip to jail and I lose both of my jobs. My entire work history (mostly law enforcement) would be worthless. I’d likely get an article 15. And I wouldn’t have any hope of ever recovering.
I tried once to speak to someone in the military about this and received a letter in the mail telling me that I was about to be medically discharged for depression and anger issues. SSS stepped in and began looking for a lawyer who would take the case without charge. Now I can focus all my resources on child support and don’t have to worry nearly as much. Did SSS fix all my problems? Of course not, but they focused their energy on the one that was surely going to decide my fate. Had they not stepped in, I surely wouldn’t have made it.”
(Name withheld for privacy)
“Just found the SSS webpage. My husband was a desert storm veteran and committed suicide, wishing this issue was more mainstream and I could do something to get the word out.”
-Jacy Brooks
“I awoke one morning wishing to take my own life. But I was scheduled to meet a young man who was riding across the country to raise awareness for Stop Soldier Suicide…I am very grateful I choose to get up and ride”
–David (last name withheld for privacy), Navy Veteran
“The SSS Facebook page is amazing for all the hard work and support for advocating for veterans, if there is anything I can do please don’t hesitate to ask.”
–Andrew Jones, Veteran
“Thank you for being there. Today was rough and it has been rough for a while.”
Posted on our Facebook page (Name withheld for privacy)
“Thank you for this (Facebook) page. My husband is a disabled retired marine with severe PTSD and a TBI. He attempted suicide twice and has suicidal ideation still. It has been 7 years since Afghanistan for him but it is still very real. This page is much needed. Thank you!”
Posted on our Facebook page (Name withheld for privacy)
Facts & Support for Our Cause:
Department of Defense officials acknowledged that during 2012, service members committed suicide at a record pace as more than 349 people took their own lives across the four branches of the military.
Since 2008, approximately 30,000 military men and women, including reservists, have taken their own lives. (VA report, 2012)
It is estimated that between 18 and 22 Veterans take their lives every day and more than 400,000 Veterans are suffering from PTSD. (VA report, 2012)
The VA has only been able to track suicide numbers roughly since only 21 states even report Veteran suicide.
In a 2012 USA Today article, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said military leaders should be held accountable for whether they succeed in helping desperate troops avoid choosing suicide — which he described as an epidemic in the military and now averaging more than one a day.
More than two million servicemen and women have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11, and almost a third of these soldiers have been deployed more than once. In a recent study of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, up to 50 percent of respondents reported “some” to “extreme” difficulty in social functioning, productivity, and community involvement.