Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Veterans comprise nearly a 25% of suicide deaths in the United States.

In 2020, there were 6,146 Veteran suicides, which averages to 16.8 Veterans dying by suicide every day.

The suicide rate for Veterans is 1.5 times higher than that of the general population.

In the 20 years between 2001 and 2020, the suicide rate among Veterans between the ages of 18 and 34 increased by 95.3%.

During that same time period, the suicide rate among Veterans between the ages of 55 and 74 rose 58.2%.

Suicide Warning Signs:

Anger, rage, mood swings, and episodes of anxiety and agitation.

Expressing feelings of having no reason to live.

Increased alcohol and/or substance misuse.

Self-destructive and risky behaviors like driving while impaired.

Several other factors play a role in higher suicide rates among Veterans.

Certain emotional precursors may precede suicide events, including feelings of loneliness, isolation, hopelessness, and depression.

In a summary of multiple studies, the VA found a variety of factors that may increase the risk of suicide, especially where multiple factors exist.

Some of these include:

Acute psychosocial stressors.

Having low cholesterol.

Higher doses of opioid medications for pain control.

Insomnia.

Mental health conditions like anxiety disorder, manic-depressive disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Substance misuse, especially heavy binge drinking.

Seek help right away if you or someone you know is experiencing signs of committing suicide.

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255.

See the links below for additional help

https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/

https://www.va.gov/health-care/health-needs-conditions/mental-health/suicide-prevention/

https://veterans.wv.gov/GCP/Pages/default.aspx

https://www.wvveteransblog.com/uncategorized/rising-to-the-challenge-suicide-prevention-resources-for-west-virginia-veterans/

post traumatic stress disorder

If you have experienced severe trauma or a life-threatening event — whether during a time of war or in a noncombat situation — you may develop symptoms of post traumatic stress, or what is commonly known as PTSD.

Maybe during the event you felt as if your life or the lives of others were in danger or that you had no control over what was happening.

While in the military, you may have witnessed people being injured or dying, or you may have experienced physical harm yourself.

Some of the most common symptoms of PTSD include:

Recurring memories or nightmares of the event

Sleeplessness

Loss of interest

Feelings of numbness, anger or irritability

Being constantly on guard

Having trouble concentrating

Feeling emotionally cut off from others

There are many ways PTSD can impact your everyday life.

Sometimes these symptoms don't surface for months or even years after the event occurred or after returning from deployment.