Today (June 27th) is National PTSD Awareness Day. PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is the result of an individual going through a traumatic experience, and typically results in loss of sleep, vivid recollections of the event, or dulled responses to the outside world.
While PTSD can be suffered by anyone, the most common association of PTSD is with military veterans. We spoke with Manitowoc County Veteran Service Officer Todd Brehmer, who said that that the commonly referred to statistic of 22 veterans completing the act of suicide every day is no longer accurate. “That’s an old number. It’s argued somewhat how that data was accumulated,” he explained. “It’s more likely 20 veterans a day, which of course is 20 too many. Any type of suicide…20 a day is ungodly. It’s ridiculous.” Brehmer did say that veteran suicides is not nearly as big of a problem in Manitowoc County, at least based on the statistics he receives, and part of that is due to the stigma around mental health slowly being lifted.
It can be argued that the group of veterans that had the least amount of emotional support is those who served in Vietnam. He explained that that generation of Veteran was raise don the ideals from the WWI and WWII vets, where you take what you saw, and “you bury it in organizations, in alcohol, you stay busy, and you don’t think about it.” However, now that generation is retiring, and they now have way more time on their hands. “And what happens with that time is they start to think,” Brehmer explained. And as they think, their minds wander back to their traumatic experiences, resulting in flashbacks, and other PTSD symptoms. Brehmer did say that there is a phone number for veterans that are experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm. While the VA is in the process of making it into a three-digit number, for now, those in need of help can call 800-273-8255, or you can text 838255. If you would like more information, you can reach out to Brehmer at the Veteran Service Office. His number is 920-683-4055.
