A study published in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine found that,
- Combat veterans are not only more likely to have suicidal ideation, often associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, but they are more likely to act on a suicidal plan. Especially since veterans may be less likely to seek help.
- The same study also found that in veterans with PTSD related to combat experience, combat-related guilt may be a significant predictor of suicidal ideation and attempts.
Our Journey
We are trying to bring awareness to the “22 VETERANS” that choose to end their lives by doing a video on Facebook each month. (You can view our Facebook page by clicking here). We have heard from people across the country that wish us to continue in this effort.
On January 22nd we made the decision to go on a 2200 mile venture by motorcycle to bring that awareness across the nation. We chose our final destination of Monroe, LA, because of a friend who found out about a veteran who ended his life on May 22nd.
After doing some planning we took off for California, (with no idea of where we would go next or who we would see), armed with several t-shirts with the “22 Veterans Lives Matters” logo, patches and window stickers. We were invited to meet with a lot of people and we gave away almost all of our “22” items.
Our total trip was 8100 miles in 52 days. We were pleased by all the support and interest for our cause. We hope this will help by simply making more people aware that every 65 minutes another Veteran ends their life.
Ed.