Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System “Suicide Prevention Month”

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced its September Suicide Prevention Month “Be There” campaign yesterday.

The slogan is meant to remind veterans and their loved ones of the importance of small acts of support. A few of the simple actions that can help make a difference in a veteran’s life who is experiencing thoughts of suicide include learning about the warning signs of suicide and reaching out to veterans in your life to see how they are.

Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System’s Lead Suicide Prevention Coordinator Dawn Mucha-Johnson highlights the importance of raising awareness specifically about veteran suicide. “From 2007 to 2017 60,000 died by suicide. There’s a huge stigma that prevents our veterans from talking about their thoughts and feelings and emotions, especially around suicide. So it is important that we get the word out there and we encourage those conversations, so that everyone decreases the stigma and has a more relaxed conversation and we get more assistance for our veterans.”

If you or a veteran you know is having thoughts of suicide contact the 24/7 veterans crisis line at 1-800-273-8255 and press 1.