Veteran Suicide: 22 or 20 is Still Too Many!

After recently losing a Veteran friend of mine to suicide, I’d like to again offer a few resources for other Veterans, or those that you might know who are hurting. Keep in mind that pain like this is often invisible on the surface and I would urge you to try any method you feel is appropriate to try to find answers.

First off, call your friends and check on them. It seems like such a simple thing, but it can mean so much for them to know you were thinking about them. In these days of quick communication via memes, text messages and social media, try a phone call.

You also may have seen the Pushup Challenge created by the non-profit organization 22KILL, designed to bring awareness to the 22 Veterans and active service members that die by suicide each day. It’s 22 days of 22 pushups, where you tag a new friend to participate each day. It seemed corny to me at first, but I enjoyed participating when a friend tagged me in his post and I really saw the merit in what it was doing for visibility. Here’s a bit more on 22KILL.

22KILL Prevention through Empowerment

Mission: To create a community that raises awareness and combats suicide by empowering Veterans, first responders and their families through traditional and non-traditional therapies.

22KILL started after a VA report from 2012 found that an average of 22 Veterans and active service members die by suicide every day. Since then, newer research has brought the number down to about 20. Regardless, this is unacceptable. It is clear that a problem exists and 22KILL’s mission remains the same.

Donations help provide traditional and non-traditional therapies for veterans, first responders and their families. 22KILL is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible at the highest level allowed by law.

Remember, call your friends and check on them.

Resources

• https://www.22kill.com
• National Suicide Hotline – 1-800-273-8255