Why Veterans Struggle with the Loss of a Peer

When a Veteran loses a peer to suicide, it can put them into a tailspin. Guilt, shame, anger and blame play out in an internal battle and these reactions can be externalized in negative words and actions. Blame may be laid at their own feet, or at the CAF or VAC for not doing enough, or may translate into blaming the loss to suicide as a weakness or character flaw. Turning the reactions to suicide loss over and over can lead Veterans to dark places.

What does it take to to heal, when you’re looking for answers that you’ll never get or waiting for a broken system to be fixed? You can heal from suicide loss if you allow yourself to truly grieve, even so the loss may never be fully resolved.

Because of your service and the sacrifices you have made over the course of your military career, you have given the gift of hope to countless others. Consider this for a moment because it is one of the greatest gifts a human being can impart to another. You deserve to have hope too. In addition you deserve the time and space to frame what Hope might mean to you at this point of your life. You might not know it in your darkest hour but there are thousands of beneficiaries of your original gift who are devoted to underwriting your hope now. Dare to hope because you have earned the right many Ike’s over.