For every veteran that returns from war, readjustment into civilian life is a challenge. Some are more successful at reassimilating to life outside of the military, while others can’t do it at all.

For those who can’t, life seems like the harder choice and instead they opt for suicide.

Before, this problem was swept under the rug, but the Department of Veteran’s Affairs has opened a hotline for distressed soldiers to phone in and connect with a trained person.

«The veterans’ hotline is part of a specialized effort by the department to reduce suicides among veterans by enabling counselors, for the first time, to instantly check a veteran’s medical records and then combine emergency response with local follow-up services. It comes after years of criticism that the department has neglected tens of thousands of wounded service men and women who have returned from war zones in Iraq.»

Full New York Times article HERE.

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is real and needs to be addressed more in our conversation about Iraq. Our service men and women who answered the call to defend and protect our nation deserve nothing but the best in mental health care.

The phone number to the hotline is: (800) 273-TALK (273-8255). If you are or if you know a soldier that needs some help, please use this number to get it.

For more ways to support our soldiers, go to votevets.org. They are anti-Iraq, but they are pro-military.

I think we can all agree that our soldiers need our support on these issues no matter where we stand on our politics.