The Forgotten Crisis: Veteran Suicide 

The Silent Emergency 

When the last transport left Kabul in August 2021, America collectively exhaled and turned away from two decades of war. In that collective sigh of relief, we abandoned something critical: the ongoing battle for veteran lives happening on American soil. The withdrawal from Afghanistan didn't end the war for our veterans—it simply removed them from the battlefield.

Today, more than 17 veterans die by suicide daily (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2024 data), yet this crisis has vanished from public consciousness. Post-9/11 veteran suicides now exceed combat deaths by a ratio of four-to-one (Suitt, Brown University Costs of War Project), but without daily news coverage of overseas operations, these losses occur in shadows. We've grown comfortable with peacetime while our veterans fight invisible wars against PTSD, depression, and trauma.

The tragedy deepens when examining treatment barriers. Veterans seeking help face antiquated "fail first" policies requiring them to endure ineffective treatments before accessing proven alternatives like transcranial magnetic stimulation, ketamine therapy, or EMDR. These evidence-based treatments remain locked behind bureaucratic walls while nearly two million veterans take antidepressants (Citizens Commission on Human Rights International FOIA request) with persistently high suicide rates.

Our main audience encompasses the forgotten: post-9/11 veterans aged 18-34 with suicide rates 2.5 times higher than civilians (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2024), their families navigating grief and desperation, healthcare providers struggling within restrictive systems, and veteran service organizations fighting for relevance in peacetime. But honestly any struggling veteran is our target audience whether they served in Iraq or Vietnam.

Building effective coalitions requires distributing leadership across regions and expertise areas, ensuring no single entity controls the narrative while maintaining our core message: American veterans deserve access to life-saving treatments without bureaucratic barriers.

The FDA and VA approval processes favor pharmaceutical solutions over innovative therapies like hyperbaric oxygen treatment and neurofeedback, despite growing evidence of their effectiveness. Geographic disparities mean rural veterans face even greater obstacles accessing alternative treatments.

Statistics tell a sobering story. Official VA data shows 6,407 veteran suicides annually (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2024), though independent research suggests higher numbers due to underreporting and definitional variations. Some estimates reach 30,177 post-9/11 veteran and service member deaths by suicide (Suitt, Brown University study)—a number that should shock America back to attention.

This isn't about politics; it's about honoring promises made to those who served. America's attention deficit regarding veteran suicide represents a moral failure requiring immediate correction through evidence-based advocacy, expanded treatment access, and renewed public commitment to those who sacrificed for our freedom.

Take Action: Sign the Petition to Raise Awareness

The time for waiting is over. Every day we delay action, more veterans lose their battles with invisible wounds. Sign the petition to raise public awareness about the critical need for veterans to have access to the full spectrum of life-saving mental health treatments they've earned through their service.

By signing, you join a growing coalition supporting expanded awareness of evidence-based alternative therapies like TMS, ketamine, EMDR, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Your signature demonstrates public support for removing barriers that prevent veterans from accessing effective treatments and for establishing better tracking of treatment outcomes.

Share this petition with family, friends, and colleagues. Post it on social media. Help raise awareness about this critical issue. The forgotten crisis of veteran suicide ends when we collectively refuse to look away and work together to educate the public about solutions. Our veterans fought for our freedom—now we must advocate for their wellbeing.

HELP22.ORG | INFO@HELP22.ORG