Veterans & Suicide: 22 A Day, Too Many!

Veterans & Suicide: 22 A Day, Too Many!
By: Jennifer Salomon

22aDay! When I first heard this number, I was shocked! For those who are not familiar with the saying, it is a statistic stating 22 Veterans a day are dying by suicide. This is a huge gap and cause for great concern. This is not okay! Being a Military Veteran myself, this breaks my heart on so many levels.

This means there are soldiers out there suffering alone and feeling like there is no one out there to speak to who understands what it is they are going through. I’m here to tell you that you are NOT alone! There are people out there who are willing to help you through whatever it is you are going through. There are so many organizations out there with amazing resources to assist our Veterans in need. One of those amazing resources is available right here in Florida!

I’m talking about the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. They are an amazing local resource for Veterans within and near the Tampa Bay area. Among many of their resources, they have a phone hotline that is available 24/7 dedicated solely for Veterans. The best part of the Florida Veterans Support Line is when a Veteran or Active Duty Service Member calls in, they are connected to a Military Veteran. Veterans helping Veterans. This is what I think is so awesome!

The Military is its own entity and only people who have had the honor of serving can relate. From one battle to the next. A privilege and something only the select few get to experience. So, having the option to speak to a Veteran who understands the Military lifestyle and struggles is amazing! You don’t have to worry about them not understanding your point of view or struggles. They have been there. It’s a good feeling knowing they can relate.

Not only does the Crisis Center deal with Veterans, but also current service members transitioning out of the Military back into the Civilian World. This is a huge readjustment for a lot of Service Members.

When you join the Military, an entity much greater than yourself, it is almost surreal. You become part of a bigger picture. There is a sense of pride, cohesiveness, and camaraderie. You are around like-minded individuals all striving for excellence and doing their part to serve our Country. You are amongst your fellow battles day in and day out. They are practically family. 

Then one day either by choice or not, you leave the Military lifestyle. A lifestyle that you lived and breathed. Every decision and choice made revolved around that lifestyle.

So, when you retire or leave to pursue other things, that whole World is gone, and everything is different. This can make transitioning into Civilian life a lot harder than imaginable. The structure, routine, expectations, and sometimes friendships are no longer present. Upon, reentering the civilian world, you quickly realize how different it is from the Military.

The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay offers many different resources for our Veterans, if you feel the need for their service, please feel welcomed to reach out! They are professional and highly trained in what they do. Don’t suffer alone or feel that you need to. It is okay to reach out for help. You matter, and you have so much to offer the world, believe that! Once a solider, always a solider, you can do this!