Forum Post: Suicide rate for veterans far exceeds that of civilian population
Posted 11 years ago on Sept. 1, 2013, 8:15 a.m. EST by GirlFriday
(17435)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
VA efforts since 2007 have shown some results. The Veterans Crisis Line — a national phone line — has experienced a steady increase in the number of calls, texts and chat session visits from former soldiers struggling with suicidal thoughts. In 2007, its first year, 9,379 calls went to the crisis line. Each year the call volume has increased, reaching a high of 193,507 calls in 2012, totaling about 840,000 overall, according to the VA.
1/3 of our homeless population are veterans as well. People always assume that people who go into the service are doing so because they are all "rah rah" gung ho.
In reality, a very large portion are simply trying to get out of the shit situation they grew up in.
So we have a very large segment of people who have very troubled youths, and are then plugged into the machine, and then released 10 years later back into the population with no real help afterwards. The way this nation states "support" for vets is at direct odds with the homelessness rate of them.
They should be given free counselling sessions for life afterwards.
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"You and your phony concern should run right out to the woodshed - follow close in my cousin's shoes, you mutherfuker - put the gun barrel to your skull and just squeeze"
You are quite the poet.
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