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22: That is the number of veterans that END their lives every day. That is 8,030 veterans that are no longer with us come December 31, 2014. Too many veterans are dying each year and we need to do better as a nation to battle this statistic. I, for one, almost became part of that statistic last year. I was lucky my wife somehow figured out something was not right because the VA did not help me. Instead, they kept me on a zip-lock bag of medications that I told them made me feel numb and zombie-like. The medications were the reason I was ready to take my own life. They said my medications were not the problem, I just needed to get used to the “new me”. I almost accepted their reasoning, and it would have killed me if I did.
The big problem is the stigma that goes with mental health problems. I just heard someone say the other day, “people who commit or attempt suicide are some of the weakest people.” No, we are not. Some of us have been in dark places for years and ultimately see no light at the end of the tunnel. We think the only way to feel better and alleviate the burden on our families is to end our own lives. In my mind, the stigma won’t ever leave until the whole country is educated about the mindsets of suicidal people.
We need to be more proactive in our treatments of depression and mental sickness. We need to be educated on the side effects of the medicines prescribed to us. I was guilty of taking whatever the VA prescribed me without question. It seemed like for the first 2 months, every time I turned around, more medications kept being added to battle the side effects of another. Or they would ask, “Are you still angry?” and I would say yes, so they would keep upping the dosage.
I ask you all to be a good friend and look for the red flags. If you wondering what some red flags may be, I would say listen to “Red Flags” by Soldier Hard. It is a great song that will educate those who don’t really know what to look for. Don’t be afraid to talk to your friend if he looks like he needs help – realize that a veteran who seems like he is going to hurt himself, wants and needs help whether or not he admits it. I can tell you I was afraid to admit I needed help because I felt it made me look weak.
From my personal experience, I felt lost in life because after retirement, I felt like I lost who I was. To me, I was BU2(SCW) Ferretti - Navy Seabee. I did not know how to be Corey Ferretti as a civilian. I also felt like I lost my mission in life and I could not easily get hired. When I finally did get hired, I had troubles adjusting to working there since it was so different than everything I knew. They were great employers, but I just walked out because I could not deal with my own life. I think if more veterans knew to focus on finding a new mission in life once they got out, it would help them so much. There are many veteran-focused groups out there, like Team Rubicon for example, who provide disaster relief. Find something that you love and find a way to make it your work. For me, horses saved my life. I am now apprenticing as a Farrier - I have a lot to learn, but I get to work with horses every day and they are my therapy.
I’m sure there are others on RallyPoint who wouldn’t mind sharing their stories in order to help those who might be in a bad place but don’t want to bring it up. If you’re in a bad place, I would be happy to talk more about my story if you have any questions. A question to other veterans: how have you found your new “life mission” after leaving service?
The big problem is the stigma that goes with mental health problems. I just heard someone say the other day, “people who commit or attempt suicide are some of the weakest people.” No, we are not. Some of us have been in dark places for years and ultimately see no light at the end of the tunnel. We think the only way to feel better and alleviate the burden on our families is to end our own lives. In my mind, the stigma won’t ever leave until the whole country is educated about the mindsets of suicidal people.
We need to be more proactive in our treatments of depression and mental sickness. We need to be educated on the side effects of the medicines prescribed to us. I was guilty of taking whatever the VA prescribed me without question. It seemed like for the first 2 months, every time I turned around, more medications kept being added to battle the side effects of another. Or they would ask, “Are you still angry?” and I would say yes, so they would keep upping the dosage.
I ask you all to be a good friend and look for the red flags. If you wondering what some red flags may be, I would say listen to “Red Flags” by Soldier Hard. It is a great song that will educate those who don’t really know what to look for. Don’t be afraid to talk to your friend if he looks like he needs help – realize that a veteran who seems like he is going to hurt himself, wants and needs help whether or not he admits it. I can tell you I was afraid to admit I needed help because I felt it made me look weak.
From my personal experience, I felt lost in life because after retirement, I felt like I lost who I was. To me, I was BU2(SCW) Ferretti - Navy Seabee. I did not know how to be Corey Ferretti as a civilian. I also felt like I lost my mission in life and I could not easily get hired. When I finally did get hired, I had troubles adjusting to working there since it was so different than everything I knew. They were great employers, but I just walked out because I could not deal with my own life. I think if more veterans knew to focus on finding a new mission in life once they got out, it would help them so much. There are many veteran-focused groups out there, like Team Rubicon for example, who provide disaster relief. Find something that you love and find a way to make it your work. For me, horses saved my life. I am now apprenticing as a Farrier - I have a lot to learn, but I get to work with horses every day and they are my therapy.
I’m sure there are others on RallyPoint who wouldn’t mind sharing their stories in order to help those who might be in a bad place but don’t want to bring it up. If you’re in a bad place, I would be happy to talk more about my story if you have any questions. A question to other veterans: how have you found your new “life mission” after leaving service?
Suicide
Health
Depression
Command Post
Posted 11 y ago
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I fully support Team Rubicon as a vehicle for veterans to find that connection. That connection helps move away from that suicide danger zone.
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PO2 Corey Ferretti
Yes from what i have seen and looked up they are that is why listed them so i am hopping that once i am done with my apprenticeship i can join them on disaster relief. Thank you LTC Benjamin Gonzalez for your input sorry i did not respond right away i have gotten busy with at work.
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Stories like yours will help end the stigma of mental health problems, but for most of society, until it directs effects them, they will carry the same view. How sad it is. Those of us who serve (or have served) understand that when you are talking about 13% of the population, 22 a day is a pretty big deal. Going through the MEB right now, mental health doctors who evaluate you are now using a different diagnosis instead of PTSD, they are using 'Major depressive disorder, recurrent, mild to moderate with anxious distress'. They switch out 'mild to moderate' to adjust to whatever severity required. See what they did there? I think during our annual training, instead of a suicide power point, bring in real survivors and make it a forum based discussion. Actually talk to those who have been down that dark road and (thank God) made it out the other side.
Thank you for sharing your story, I hope you continue to get better and find your reason to say hello to the sun each day! God Bless you brother!
Thank you for sharing your story, I hope you continue to get better and find your reason to say hello to the sun each day! God Bless you brother!
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PO2 Corey Ferretti
Thank you SPC(P) Jay Heenan for reading my post and your reply. That is crazy that instead of PTSD they have it as Major Depressive disorder, recurrent, mild to moderate wiht anxious distress" has the military gone away from PTSD? You are right i think Sudicide brief would go better if they did you survivors or family and friend of those that have taken there life. Because untill it hits close most people don't understand what it is like. Thank you for your kind closing i do on my bad day i force myself to find the good from the day. Because when i get hit with negative i can get stuck hard.
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I have had 3 suicide attempts in my life. I was almost a statistic.
If I may give an opinion from a person who has been and still struggles with depression on a daily basis. Here's what I think:
Losing Purpose, losing yourself to your thoughts of what could have been, or what was. The feeling of waking up alone, and no one will ever be able to understand where we have been and to understand where we are coming from. When we come home and are finally "free" at first it's nice because we no longer have the stress and responsibilities to deal with. However, those stresses and responsibilities were keeping us together because they gave us something to work for and towards.
This is exactly what Expedition You Are Not Alone wants to focus on. We want to be the inspiration that even after service you can still build true, lasting, and meaningful relationships even with non service members. That you can find purpose and drive with another aspect of human behavior. Mine was adventure Education and Wilderness Leadership. Each Veteran who feels lost and useless is not, they just can't let go of what the Service did for them in terms of Structure, Discipline, and Job Satisfaction.
One of the Vets in the video said "Why couldn't I be that Vet that came home and unaffected." The truth is that everyone is affected, just in different ways. That affect could be no affect in the present moment, but decades down the road those thoughts and memories of was great, terrible, hard, intense, fun, scary will come back to mind.
Not being able to get away from the thoughts of loss, pain, suffering and stress are also factors that affect Veterans and their well being. Many of the individuals I met while in a Psychiatric Ward of the VA told me that they want to kill themselves to kill their thoughts. A lot them can't find any other source of escape from their memories and the only option is Death. The physical death is just a by product of the mental release that they are searching for. If we look at the number of Veterans who want to find peace, but can't you would find the same number in a obituary as a result of Suicide.
One of the biggest statements I hear out of people is "Talk to someone" Who the hell am I going to talk to? Someone who is trying to make me see the positive. I don't want to see the positive, I want to see the truth. Being positive and being realistic are two different things. While having a positive outlook can give perspective, it also gives a sense of ignorance. Not everyone is OK, not every Vet is Fine and just "going through" something. This is real pain, that if not dealt with will have very real and depressing consequences.
Talking doesn't help, taking action helps. Knowing that there is someone just like you who hurts just as much, and they won't leave your side helps. Finding purpose outside of the Military, and finding your Civilian equivalent in yourself helps. The hardest part is unlocking that behavior. How do you tell someone that they are destined for greatness when they believe they are worthless and purposeless? The answer is that you DON'T TELL THEM!!! YOU SHOW THEM!!!
The one thing I learned in the Navy was to never quit, and yet that's what we who hurt feel like doing every day, and the feeling of knowing you quit when you're not suppose to quit drives one further into insanity and the downward spiral continues to get worse and worse until there's a breaking point. The real solution is what will that breaking point be? Death/ Suicide, or an in depth, inward reflection of who one is as a person, and adjusting accordingly? Do we quit because we're tired or do we just give our bodies and mind a break by focusing on the present moment rather than a reoccurring thought that never seems to go away?
Everyone I have ever talked to about my suicide always say's "stay positive" WTF!!! are you kidding me? I can barely get out of bed on a good day and force myself to function because all I want to do is curl up into a ball and no longer exist.
The change will come when we can make the effort to let go of what was, and focus on what is. that is also a tough challenge because what is is this: A veteran who spends the day in classroom with kids who can't wipe their own ass and ask mommy and daddy for help in every step of their lives, a job that takes zero thought to complete and then you start to think to yourself: what the hell am I doing here? I went through 8 weeks of basic, and years of deployments and professional development in the military to work with these idiots? no that is not a very good present moment to come to realization to.
How do we make a change? how do we stop the self destructive behavior and turn it into something productive for everyone involved. Especially the guy who's about to jump off a bridge, or the mother of 2 who never has a gun in her hand and locked herself in the bathroom? How do you save people at the very last moment?
That's an easy one: Talk to someone who has been in your shoes. Someone who has deployed, someone who has lost comrades in combat or on deployment. Talk to someone who cares to listen because they want you to hear their story too. We need to be here for each other. Not just online and over email, but in person. Once you get someone out of the moment of desperation and little more stable, then focus on developing a perspective where are useful to their families and friends. Help them find jobs that fit their personality and provide training for those jobs. Provide resources that go beyond formal education, and into trade schools and other types of education systems where Veterans can become the person they have always wanted to be with or without the Military. Provide Free non VA psychiatric help. Non Pharmaceutical based. Not every Veteran is going to React well to medications, not every person is going to like talking to a psychologist.
We need to create an individualized holistic treatment platform that can give those who hurt a chance to know what life without pain, or limited pain is like.
If I may give an opinion from a person who has been and still struggles with depression on a daily basis. Here's what I think:
Losing Purpose, losing yourself to your thoughts of what could have been, or what was. The feeling of waking up alone, and no one will ever be able to understand where we have been and to understand where we are coming from. When we come home and are finally "free" at first it's nice because we no longer have the stress and responsibilities to deal with. However, those stresses and responsibilities were keeping us together because they gave us something to work for and towards.
This is exactly what Expedition You Are Not Alone wants to focus on. We want to be the inspiration that even after service you can still build true, lasting, and meaningful relationships even with non service members. That you can find purpose and drive with another aspect of human behavior. Mine was adventure Education and Wilderness Leadership. Each Veteran who feels lost and useless is not, they just can't let go of what the Service did for them in terms of Structure, Discipline, and Job Satisfaction.
One of the Vets in the video said "Why couldn't I be that Vet that came home and unaffected." The truth is that everyone is affected, just in different ways. That affect could be no affect in the present moment, but decades down the road those thoughts and memories of was great, terrible, hard, intense, fun, scary will come back to mind.
Not being able to get away from the thoughts of loss, pain, suffering and stress are also factors that affect Veterans and their well being. Many of the individuals I met while in a Psychiatric Ward of the VA told me that they want to kill themselves to kill their thoughts. A lot them can't find any other source of escape from their memories and the only option is Death. The physical death is just a by product of the mental release that they are searching for. If we look at the number of Veterans who want to find peace, but can't you would find the same number in a obituary as a result of Suicide.
One of the biggest statements I hear out of people is "Talk to someone" Who the hell am I going to talk to? Someone who is trying to make me see the positive. I don't want to see the positive, I want to see the truth. Being positive and being realistic are two different things. While having a positive outlook can give perspective, it also gives a sense of ignorance. Not everyone is OK, not every Vet is Fine and just "going through" something. This is real pain, that if not dealt with will have very real and depressing consequences.
Talking doesn't help, taking action helps. Knowing that there is someone just like you who hurts just as much, and they won't leave your side helps. Finding purpose outside of the Military, and finding your Civilian equivalent in yourself helps. The hardest part is unlocking that behavior. How do you tell someone that they are destined for greatness when they believe they are worthless and purposeless? The answer is that you DON'T TELL THEM!!! YOU SHOW THEM!!!
The one thing I learned in the Navy was to never quit, and yet that's what we who hurt feel like doing every day, and the feeling of knowing you quit when you're not suppose to quit drives one further into insanity and the downward spiral continues to get worse and worse until there's a breaking point. The real solution is what will that breaking point be? Death/ Suicide, or an in depth, inward reflection of who one is as a person, and adjusting accordingly? Do we quit because we're tired or do we just give our bodies and mind a break by focusing on the present moment rather than a reoccurring thought that never seems to go away?
Everyone I have ever talked to about my suicide always say's "stay positive" WTF!!! are you kidding me? I can barely get out of bed on a good day and force myself to function because all I want to do is curl up into a ball and no longer exist.
The change will come when we can make the effort to let go of what was, and focus on what is. that is also a tough challenge because what is is this: A veteran who spends the day in classroom with kids who can't wipe their own ass and ask mommy and daddy for help in every step of their lives, a job that takes zero thought to complete and then you start to think to yourself: what the hell am I doing here? I went through 8 weeks of basic, and years of deployments and professional development in the military to work with these idiots? no that is not a very good present moment to come to realization to.
How do we make a change? how do we stop the self destructive behavior and turn it into something productive for everyone involved. Especially the guy who's about to jump off a bridge, or the mother of 2 who never has a gun in her hand and locked herself in the bathroom? How do you save people at the very last moment?
That's an easy one: Talk to someone who has been in your shoes. Someone who has deployed, someone who has lost comrades in combat or on deployment. Talk to someone who cares to listen because they want you to hear their story too. We need to be here for each other. Not just online and over email, but in person. Once you get someone out of the moment of desperation and little more stable, then focus on developing a perspective where are useful to their families and friends. Help them find jobs that fit their personality and provide training for those jobs. Provide resources that go beyond formal education, and into trade schools and other types of education systems where Veterans can become the person they have always wanted to be with or without the Military. Provide Free non VA psychiatric help. Non Pharmaceutical based. Not every Veteran is going to React well to medications, not every person is going to like talking to a psychologist.
We need to create an individualized holistic treatment platform that can give those who hurt a chance to know what life without pain, or limited pain is like.
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SSG(P) (Join to see)
Alex, you are a very brave man!! Think of it as a daily workout. It hurts, but when it really comes down to it, you feel good after sweating it. Keep up the good work, buddy
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Suspended Profile
Until they all come home...
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This should never happen. I pray for my fellow vets. If you see one of our brothers or sisters in need do everything in your power to get them help.
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These facts are staggering i don't know how to comprehend them. I personally had issues after my second tour of Afghanistan after being wounded on the tour. One thing i noticed was that i was scared of what people would think. I was fortunate to have a really good chain of command that was approachable who straight away noticed me and that things where going wrong and they put me into the correct care and after a period of time i was fine and still serve today. Whilst still serving it comes down to that you need to know your men as leaders and the minute that your men stop coming to you with their problems then we as leaders of men have failed them. Within civilian life I'm not too sure of what can be done but the same level of care should be afforded to veterans and serving members alike. Another comment states that one person doing this is too much and the system has failed them... outstanding comment too true.
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PO2 Corey Ferretti
Glad you had a good chain of command who were able to recognize what you needed and that you can continue to serve. My pain came after I got out because I felt like I lost my purpose and what I thought was my identity.
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SGT (Join to see)
PO2 Corey Ferretti - I think that what you have just said is what happens with a lot of veterans and the fact that you are still able to talk about this so openly is a true testament to your character and resilience and you should be extremely proud and draw strength from that. Stay strong it's people like you that will help fight the statistic
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PO2 Corey Ferretti
Thank you SGT (Join to see) I try to remain open with people to help change the stigma and show just because ei don't show it on the outside does not mean I'm not battling on the inside.
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I have been off of here and most other aspects of my life the last few days 12/28/2013 was the day that I tried to end my own life. It was a difficulty few days to get through, even with help. I pray that more of our veteran reach out, and that more people reach out to our veterans to get that number down.
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SFC Boots Attaway
SGT Charles Vernier , this is one thing that I am glad that you failed at brother. If you ever need to talk just PM me and I will give you my phone number. Please NEVER try it again.
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I live every day with the dark specter of suicide hanging over my shoulder. Soldier Hard, Stephen Hobbs, J-Duece, and the rest of the RedCon-1 music group have been a Godsend. If you don't know who they are, search for them on Youtube or iTunes. I don't like rap or hip-hop music, but the message these guys send is life saving.
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PO2 Corey Ferretti
You are right i dont care for that type of music too but there music is therapy. Glad you are still with us brother stay strong.
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SFC Boots Attaway
SSG(P) Matthew Bisbee , I am glad that you are still with us and I pray that you continue to win your battles against your demons. We are all here to help any way that we can. Please try to find a RP member that lives close to you and make contact. Maybe you both can be support for each other. If not please pm me and I will give you my cell number and you can call me ANYTIME. I hope that the rest of the RP members feel the same way as we should ALL watch each others 6 and offer any and all the support we can. God Bless and watch over you brother.
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SFC Dr. Joseph Finck, BS, MA, DSS
SSG(P) Matthew Bisbee You are a strong NCO and an example for us all to follow. As SFC Boots Attaway related I am available to, at any time if you want to vent, talk, or whatever.
You are not alone with the "dark spector" it remains a fight many of us are in. Each success as an individual provides us one more success as a group.
You are not alone with the "dark spector" it remains a fight many of us are in. Each success as an individual provides us one more success as a group.
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SGM (Join to see)
There's a lot of people in your corner, SSG (P) Matthew Bisbee. You don't have to fight this alone. You've reached out on this post. Now follow through.
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This is going to sound harsh and I know it is. But 22 a day really doesn't hold that much meaning to me. Before I get slammed with others telling me I'm cold/callous etc. please hear me out.
I have dealt with PTSD since returning from Desert Shield/Storm in April 1991. It has cost me one marriage and maybe a couple jobs. In 1991 we didn't have all the mental health programs that we have in place today. Like the Viet Nam vets before us, we were left to deal with our problems the best way we could. I was depressed, lonely, guilt ridden. Every day I returned home from work it was a struggle to not sleep in my vehicle in the garage with the engine running and windows down. My wife at the time didn't want to hear about my experiences. In her words "that was before us'. I couldn't afford to seek professional help and in 2003 she divorced me.
I was diagnosed with PTSD in 2008 after returning to active duty in 2006 after seeking help while assigned to the Ft. Campbell WTB as a squad leader.
In the years I have struggled to come to grips with what happened in the desert of Iraq I am proud to admit that I never succumbed to using alcohol or drugs in order to deal with daily life and my demons.
The reason why 22 a day doesn't mean a lot to me is this; my door is always open, my phone is always on, my ears are always available to listen. I may not have the answers (hell, I don't even have all the questions) but I know how to find a Soldier the help they need. Or I will just listen if that's all they desire.
I understand what it's like to not want to continue to live. To struggle day to day. To be alone even when in a crowded room. With all the programs today, I feel there is no excuse to suffer in silence.
No, I don't enjoy reading about a Soldier taking their own life. But I have survived almost 24 years with PTSD. Yes even with therapy some days are still a bitch.
I do care about the welfare of Soldiers. And if they're suffering and don't want to talk to me about it, I pray they will seek someone to talk to or allow me to get them the help they need.
I have dealt with PTSD since returning from Desert Shield/Storm in April 1991. It has cost me one marriage and maybe a couple jobs. In 1991 we didn't have all the mental health programs that we have in place today. Like the Viet Nam vets before us, we were left to deal with our problems the best way we could. I was depressed, lonely, guilt ridden. Every day I returned home from work it was a struggle to not sleep in my vehicle in the garage with the engine running and windows down. My wife at the time didn't want to hear about my experiences. In her words "that was before us'. I couldn't afford to seek professional help and in 2003 she divorced me.
I was diagnosed with PTSD in 2008 after returning to active duty in 2006 after seeking help while assigned to the Ft. Campbell WTB as a squad leader.
In the years I have struggled to come to grips with what happened in the desert of Iraq I am proud to admit that I never succumbed to using alcohol or drugs in order to deal with daily life and my demons.
The reason why 22 a day doesn't mean a lot to me is this; my door is always open, my phone is always on, my ears are always available to listen. I may not have the answers (hell, I don't even have all the questions) but I know how to find a Soldier the help they need. Or I will just listen if that's all they desire.
I understand what it's like to not want to continue to live. To struggle day to day. To be alone even when in a crowded room. With all the programs today, I feel there is no excuse to suffer in silence.
No, I don't enjoy reading about a Soldier taking their own life. But I have survived almost 24 years with PTSD. Yes even with therapy some days are still a bitch.
I do care about the welfare of Soldiers. And if they're suffering and don't want to talk to me about it, I pray they will seek someone to talk to or allow me to get them the help they need.
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CPT Jack Durish
You, SSG, are an indomitable. You are a rare breed of individual who can overcome life's adversities. Me, too. I survived an abusive father without becoming an abusive father. I survived the bride-from-hell and still had the brazenness to try again and succeeded (now 38 years in a marriage of love). However, as I said, you and I are of a rare breed. We may be special or we may be too dumb to realize how bad things are.
Those who commit suicide are not indomitable. They are merely human...
Those who commit suicide are not indomitable. They are merely human...
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SSG (Join to see)
CPT Jack Durish, glad to hear you overcame the abuse of your father and a troubled first marriage to find true happiness with your current wife.
I owe a lot of my strength to my mom. She raised me with zero help from my father. She struggled to make ends meet on gov't assistance as jobs where we lived were hard to find. She always made sure I had food to eat, clothes on my back and Christmas time I never went without. She always supported me in every endeavor (sports, FFA) I undertook and still does to this day.
I feel that one of the biggest problems facing todays Soldier is that they lack the coping mechanisms that we had growing up. They're too reliant on technology. We live in an instant gratification age (and yes even I get caught up in it at times). They have become accustomed to stuff being instantly available. They have no concept of 'waiting on the good stuff'.
I owe a lot of my strength to my mom. She raised me with zero help from my father. She struggled to make ends meet on gov't assistance as jobs where we lived were hard to find. She always made sure I had food to eat, clothes on my back and Christmas time I never went without. She always supported me in every endeavor (sports, FFA) I undertook and still does to this day.
I feel that one of the biggest problems facing todays Soldier is that they lack the coping mechanisms that we had growing up. They're too reliant on technology. We live in an instant gratification age (and yes even I get caught up in it at times). They have become accustomed to stuff being instantly available. They have no concept of 'waiting on the good stuff'.
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PO2 Corey Ferretti
THank you for sharing SSG (Join to see) i dont find what your wrote as cold. Glad you are still here with us and happy you are there for your soldiers. You are right that today alot of people dont know the coping skills needed to drive on. Part of that is failure on them as you stated it seems we want instant gratification and part of this is failure on leadership. I know when i came back they put us through "training" but it was a check in the box to get us home. They should do a little more with it and cover how to deal with what happened and copping mechanisms. It took me to go to a inpatient treatment program to learn just the basic skills. If they would take 2 weeks to introduce us to this it might help one more person get over the hump.
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LT (Join to see)
Good Morning SSG Mann, I suffer from PTSD, however not from war or conflicts but from childhood PTSD. I have dealt with it all my life, from childhood abuse such as the same CPT Durish mentioned (I was lucky at 14 and met my Mother who took me in--now a retired Navy Chief). I don't sleep and I must sleep with earplugs because I am on constant alert. Additionally, I do not commit well until my current husband who just "gets me". I have never once considered taking my life, probably because I have lived with this my entire life. I have learned how to live it, to make it work for me, well, for the most part that is. I have known so many service members to have lost their lives by their own hand. I find the statistics disturbing. When I was in the AF and I went through Airman Leadership School (1996 or 1997), one of my speeches was on service member suicides. I used a flare gun as a prop and stuck it to my head and yelled "BANG" really loud. It certainly grabbed everyone's attention and I started my speech with statistics. Suicide has touched us more than most people are really aware of. PO2 Ferretti, keep trusting and I understand how difficult this is when people misuse this trust, but by opening yourself and your heart you are allowing yourself to heal in many ways. I used to be very angry, but in 2008 I had an epiphany about my anger and I deliberately chose to see as much positive in my life. I chose see those in my life in a positive way and in the end this has become my normal vs something I have had to work at. I have definitely been disappointed by some people, but in the end this attitude of mine has helped me become happier and a better person. Some people can do this through their faith and I say go for it. Whatever works to help you through your mind, because it's our minds which we fight daily. Regardless, I'm always here if you need someone just to talk to as I'm a firm believer life is about being happy and learning our lessons as everything we experience is to teach us something. Ok, so I'm pretty sure I've rambled on a bit much here. Cheers!
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Check out this organization. Spread them all over Facebook. They help get the word out and raise awareness for this issue. It is something I strongly believe in. It breaks my heart every time I hear of a brother or sister taking their own life. It really ticks me off when I find out they sought treatment through the VA and were either turned away or put on a "list".
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PO2 Corey Ferretti
Sgt Adam Jennings What org are you talking about?
Edit: Sorry i found it sorry forgot you put it late.
Edit: Sorry i found it sorry forgot you put it late.
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