This number is staffed by trained professionals every hour of the day. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs website, in its first year, approximately 62,000 veterans, family members, and friends of veterans have used Lifeline to cope with a crisis situation.
In addition, the Department of Veterans Affairs has a website with helpful information on how to identify early warning signs of suicide. This is an excellent resource for veterans and their friends and family members.
The Cost of War
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans exhibit a number of difficulties, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, alcohol abuse, physical health problems, and difficulties managing anger, and there is some evidence that OIF and OEF veterans may also be at heightened risk for suicide.Some reports have come out that indicate high rates of suicide among OIF/OEF veterans. For example, in 2007, the U.S. Army reported that there were 115 suicides among OIF/OEF veterans. This was the highest number of suicides reported since the Army started keeping track about 30 years ago.
Another study also found that, among almost 500,000 OIF/OEF veterans, 818 had ended their own life. Risk for suicide among these veterans, however, was not higher than that found for people in the general U.S. population, and risk did not really differ depending on a veteran's branch of service (for example, Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force). However, former active duty veterans and veterans who had a psychiatric disorder were at greater risk for suicide.
Getting Additional Help
If you don't have a therapist and are experiencing suicidal thoughts or feel that you might be someone who could be at risk for harming yourself, it is also going to be important to seek out a psychiatric evaluation and a therapist. Suicidal thoughts are a sign that you may need some immediate help with your symptoms. You can find PTSD treatment providers in your area through UCompare HealthCare, a free searchable database from About.com.Sources:
Kang, H.K., & Bullman, T.A. (2008). Risk of suicide among US veterans after returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan War zones. Journal of the American Medical Association, 300, 652-653. Kessler, R.C., Sonnega, A., Bromet, E., Hughes, M., & Nelson, C.B. (1995). Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. Archives of General Psychiatry, 52, 1048-1060.
