UNEXPCTED VOICES
National Suicide Prevention Week
Sun, Sep 8, 2019 – Sat, Sep 14, 2019
“Some people didn’t say anything, and it just grew and grew inside of them. I wanted to let it out. Even now that I’m back home, and Iook at the pictures of the guys, its hard to keep from crying.”
— ARMY NATIONAL GUARD SGT. SINQUE SWALES
Unexpected Voices are the support of countless influential members of our community who choose to share their spotlight with our fellow Americans in fight against suicide.
Suicide is the 10th
leading cause of death in the US
In 2017, 47,173
Americans died by suicide
#BeThe1To
ASK
KEEP THEM SAFE
BE THERE
HELP THEM STAY CONNECTED
FOLLOW UP
In 2017,
estimated
1,400,000
suicide attempts
BE THEIR VOICES
I was furious. I have never been shot at in my civilian life. I have never been blown up in my civilian life. I haven't lost an "adopted" child to a suicide bomber in my civilian life. And I haven't had to listen to a man's death over the Med-Evac frequency in my civilian life. All those things happened during my year in Iraq, but my PTSD is probably just related to my years working at UPS or something?
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM VETERAN
It took two years and nine suicide attempts for DJ to finally get help through the VA system. He has had plenty more deplorable doctors; one shrieked at me how, “That’s the VA way. If you don’t like it, leave,” when DJ had a life-threatening reaction to a medication. Now, when I advocate for DJ’s and other’s care, I remember her lesson that near-fatal medical policies are the VA way. Instead of leaving, though, I do my best to make sure poor treatment at home doesn’t kill soldiers who survived deployment.
WIFE OF OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM VETERAN