When do we worry about veterans with PTSD? | Opinion
Like flies to bright lights, American media outlets are persistently drawn to the insidious. If there’s a doubt in your mind about that, consider how much time was devoted to Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock and the cavalcade of B, C and D-list celebrities assembled to opine.
Same for the courtroom drama of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Who’ll play them in the movie?
Enough is enough.
When do we give deserving causes the attention they’ve earned? Especially in June, which Congress recognizes as ‘National PTSD Awareness Month - June 27 is National PTSD Awareness Day); let’s think for a minute about our veterans.
Many veterans of U.S. military engagements in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and other countries returned home not only with severe physical impairment but with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) resulting from horrific, traumatic experiences they cannot erase. Those scars are not visible.
PTSD has pushed many over the edge; and the national suicide rate is 20 per day among veterans with PTSD, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Yes, that’s 7,300 annually; more fatalities than we saw at Pearl Harbor and the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01 combined.
Despite a broad range of national and state efforts from the Department of Veterans Affairs and a patchwork of determined, community-based organizations, that number remains unchanged.
K9 Partners for Patriots, a Brooksville, FL-based nonprofit, exists solely to prevent veteran suicide; to give our veterans a second chance at life through the experience of training and caring for their own service dog. K9P4P provides its six-month training program, a K9 if needed, essential equipment and some veterinary care at no cost to the veteran.
For many who’ve struggled with PTSD, this program is their last real chance. They’ve taken all the meds the VA doctors prescribed; and perhaps self-medicated when the pills did not work. Alcohol and drugs less legal failed to bring any improvement.
In a downward spiral of anger, anxiety, depression, and stress, some hear about K9P4P. Or maybe it’s a spouse or a fellow veteran who steers them in our direction.
They discover that through our doors lies hope and healing. For real.
If you know a veteran struggling with PTSD and self-isolation, let them know there’s a path forward. What began with a handful of veterans in 2013 is now a family of more than 600 veterans representing 41 Florida counties from Taylor to Miami-Dade. For those traveling long distance to attend their class once a week, together with their service-dog-in-training, K9 Partners for Patriots assists with overnight hotel accommodations as well.
How many more veterans will reach out? How many might we lose to self-isolation, drugs or alcohol abuse? If you know any veterans struggling with PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or Military Sexual Trauma (MST), let them know they’re not alone. We have their back.
Don’t their lives mean more than a slap?
Gregg Laskoski is the communications director for K9 Partners for Patriots based in Brooksville. June is National PTSD Awareness Month.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: When do we worry about veterans with PTSD? | Opinion
