Silver Linings Program Gives Veterans Families Emotional Support
Imagine getting a phone call from an unknown police officer a thousand miles away telling you they found your son dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. You knew he was suffering from PTSD. You knew his drinking was getting worse. You knew he was sad. Now you know that he’s committed veteran suicide.
In the days that follow, you try to contact the VA for his funeral benefits. Nothing. You have to go it alone. The new Facebook community support group, the Silver Linings Project, offers the families of veteran suicide a place to share positive memories of the fallen soldiers, their stories of dealing with the aftermath, and a chance to talk to other families going through the same nightmare. Find our veteran suicide family support group here.
Find the Silver Lining Program on Facebook
Our Facebook page is new and the need is only now being recognised. The isolation that most families feel after a veteran suicide is protective and safe, but they need to see the world in a new way. This Facebook veteran suicide support group page will begin to supply what they need. And they’ll do it by themselves.
Having spoken to the families and knowing the Veterans Administration’s limits, the common denominator that keeps them ashamed is financial. It is important to let them know, or for them to discover on their own, that that is not their fault and that it is nothing to be ashamed of. The soldier who battled and lost with PTSD was their son, but they didn’t drive him to it, they didn’t miss the signs, and there was very little they could have done even knowing the final outcome.
Veteran Suicide is Solder Suicide
In June of 2018, the Veterans Administration updated their landmark veteran suicide report with new details. The original number of 22/day was downgraded to 20.6. Of those 20/day, 13 were veterans and 7 consist of active duty and reserves. This new reality forces us to take better care of the families that remain. Veteran families who don’t have the funds to cover this unexpected cost.
Once a Soldier is on a mission to ease the financial burden of the family after a veteran suicide. Please help with your kind donations.
