Suicide is a national problem in the United States. Well over 40,000 people die by suicide every year, including adults and children. In those numbers are over 6,000 military veterans, most of them male. When the rates are adjusting for population differences in age and sex, in 2017, veterans died by suicide 1.5 times more than non-veterans.  

This week Ameé speaks with Army vet Jonah Maddox, who has been outspoken about his own struggles with PTSD, alcohol addiction, anxiety, and suicide ideation. He shares his story and what he believes the civilian community needs to know and do to help reduce suicides in the veteran community beyond doing things like the Push-Up Challenge. 

If you are a veteran looking for support, type in “Veteran Service Officer near me” into your web search browser (Google or Bing, for example) to find the one closest to you.  Or click the links below. 

From the American Legion website: 

“Accredited American Legion service officers are specially trained to provide expert assistance, free of charge, to veterans and their families. While the majority of a service officer’s work involves application for VA disability benefits, these compassionate professionals also provide information, referrals and resources on education, employment and business, death benefits and other important topics.”

Lifeline for Vets Website

List of Veteran Service Officers by State

U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs – Directory of Veterans Service Organizations

The American Legion – VSO Search

Make the Connection - provides information about life experiences you can relate to. You also can explore information about signs, symptoms, and conditions that are related to mental health and well-being.

Veterans of Foreign Wars

Disabled American Veterans (DAV) 

 

Other Resources:

Jonah’s Instagram Account

The Push-Up Challenge Video - https://www.instagram.com/tv/CDgZ0t6DXXp/

Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger

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