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Suicide… veterans committing suicide?
I always figured that those who had to physically fight for their lives on the field of combat would be the last ones taking their lives after reaching the promised land of home.
After you’ve been refined in the fires of combat, I thought the deal was that little else would be able to touch you…?
Little did we know that trying to fit into the first civilian division would be one of the hardest fights we would all be forced to endure. It’s funny how when you are still in, tucked away safe and sound within your military unit it’s almost impossible to understand how veterans and service members could ever have a problem with this.
The truth is simply that civilian life is much more dangerous in my opinion. First of all, no one survives. Secondly it is not a physical external enemy that you are fighting against out here, It’s not as easy as pointing and shooting and the fight itself is raging every moment your eyes are open. in the battle for freedom that we are all participating in not only in the first civilian division but within the whole of humanity, the battle is psychological and internal. Nothing is truly as it seems out here. Pleasure will get you in far more trouble than pain ever will and complacency still kills. The major differences simply that you are tailor fitting your pain or pleasure, victory or defeat personally by every decision you make daily. With every moment that passes and every choice you do or don’t make, the stitching of your success or eventual failure is being woven all around you into an inescapable cocoon of fate or destiny.
So what do we do in the face of statistics like this while we’re all under pressure fighting the same battle so intensely that no one really has too much energy or resources to do much of anything for anyone else?
We must do the one thing that got us through all of the pain of combat in the first place… We must stick together. No one can save your life but you!
No one is going to fight for your ability to do what you want, where you want, how you want, when you want, with whoever you want, with your own life but you!
The burden of your unseen wounds can at least be seized if not entirely healed by knowing you’ve got quality company. The problems in the veteran community are far too deep and sacred to talk to just anyone about. In fact, there really is no joy that comes from sharing your most sacred experiences and feelings with someone who is not able to really understand you, unless it’s for educational purposes. Sure our civilian friends and loved ones care but that is not the point and we all know the truth is simply that, regardless of how well meaning they may be, there is nothing as psychologically soothing to us than speaking to our own.
This is why I know that in this fight for freedom and mental stability out here amongst veterans, it’s going to take veterans to save veterans. Just simply being there for one another to talk, to look one another in the eyes and a sure each other that someone still cares and that people are still here who understand. Just the reality of knowing someone’s there and is fighting the same battle your fighting, I think is enough to really help us help each other and come together as a community, in order to lower these statistics.
So if you see a veteran out there and whether he looks like he’s struggling or not… Ask him how he is really doing and look him in his eyes so he knows you guys are on the same team and can connect with you for a minute if need be. we are the only ones capable of really, effectively and most efficiently tending to our wounds when it comes to a lot of this stuff in my opinion, so join the fight and lets all join forces against these menacing statistics.
If your a supportive civilian who is not sure how to reach a veteran you care about but you still want to help in some way or if you’re a veteran looking for something positive to get into that might help you, check out my book! Finding meaning after the military by clicking here!