22 A Day

This past month, I had the opportunity to attend an event called Ride2Zero that Smiling Goat Ranch had been working on alongside a veteran named Nick. This event, a motorcycle rally, was in honor of a veteran friend of Nick’s who had committed suicide earlier this year. Nick brought to our attention that 22 veterans commit suicide a day, and he wanted his friend and our organization to help bring awareness to this issue.

Hearing that fact inspired our team to do some research. A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research showed that “among Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans who had a post-deployment PTSD diagnosis, only 22.8% initiated an evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD and of those who did, only 9.1% completed treatment.” This means only 2% of those veterans with a PTSD diagnosis are receiving and completing treatment. Read that again. ONLY 2%!

It is clear that this issue is not talked about enough. As I sat in the parking lot with all the motorcyclists, I heard their stories, their pain, their trauma and much more than I was able to withstand. One man took the stage and told his story of surviving a suicide attempt. The crowd went silent. Whether it was because they knew someone going through that same thing or if it was themselves.

There were nearly 70 bikers in attendance and each of them approached one another as if they were at a family gathering. It didn’t matter what branch of the military they served or which war they fought in, they were all recognized for risking their lives and their mental health for the sake of our country.

Nick said something at that event that will stick with me forever. “I would rather hear you rant to me about your problems for two hours, than listen to your eulogy for fifteen minutes.” Although I believe many people would agree with this statement, I do not think it is said enough out loud. Veterans live with their trauma daily and most refuse to talk about it for the sake of others. They are facing unimaginable pain and 22 of them a day are no longer willing to bear it.

Why is society ignoring these statistics? Why are veterans one of the most underserved populations when they have one of the highest suicide rates? Why is no one finding care for these veterans? SO many questions and so little answers.

I am lucky to serve people with PTSD at Smiling Goat Ranch. I am able to recognize their change in behavior and watch them feel safe and supported on a horse and with our team. We see them open up and tell us their stories that they won’t even tell their family. A veteran is a hard shell to crack, but in the right environment they are able to be free of themselves and their trauma. The war they won for our freedom has not ended inside their head.

Photo courtesy of Brittney K Morgan