Suicide rates for younger veterans doubles in NYS

Suicide rates for younger veterans doubles in NYS

GOOD EVENING ONCEAGAIN..THERE ARE ALARMINGNEW NUMBERS ABOUTSUICIDE RATESAMONG YOUNGERVETERANS.A NEW REPORTISSUED BY THE NEWYORK STATE HEALTHFOUNDATION SAYSRATES FOR THOSE 18TO 34 HAS MORE THANDOUBLED ACROSSTHE STATE.7 EYEWITNESS NEWSSENIOR REPORTEREILEENBUCKLEYTALKED TO AWAR VETERAN WHOLEADS A COUNSELINGPROGRAM AT THEVETERANS ONE STOPCENTER OF WESTERNNEW YORK.AYLSSA VASQUEZ.

"YOUFEEL LIKE YOU ARELIVING ON THE OTHERSIDE OF A PANE OFGLASS..LIKE YOU'REWATCHING EVERYONEAROUND YOU."ALYSSA VASQUEZDESCRIBES WHAT ITFEELS LIKE AFTERCOMING HOME FROMWAR.

SHE WASDEPLOYED TWICE TOIRAQ AND ONCE TOAFGHANISTAN...ANDSERVED MORE THAN13 YEARS IN THEARMY.AND RETURNINGVETERANS AREFINDING A WHOLE NEWBATTLEGROUND ASTHEY TRANSITIONBACK INTO CIVILIANLIFE...ALYSSA VASQUEZ.

"IWANTED NOTHING TODO WITH THE MILITARYLIFE.I DIDN'T WANT -YOU KNOW - I DIDN'TWANT TO HANG OUTWITH OTHERVETERANS.I DIDN'TWANT TO WEAR AMILITARY HAT.I DIDN'TWANT TO TELLANYBODY - I JUSTWANTED TO BECOMPLETELY REMOVEDFROM IT."A REPORT FROM THENEW YORK STATEFOUNDATION FOUNDTHAT ALTHOUGHVETERAN SUICIDERATES ARE LOWER INNEW YORK THEN THEREST OF THE U-S...THERE IS ACONCERNING TRENDAS THE RATE FORYOUNGER VETERANS18 TO 34 YEARS OFAGE DOUBLEDBETWEEN 2005 AND20-17....VASQUEZ IS NOTSURPRISED BY THEREPORT.

SHE SAYSMANY YOUNGVETERANS RETURNFROM WAR FEELINGISOLATED...SOMESUFFERING FROMPOST TRAUMATICSTRESS...ALYSSA VASQUEZ."SOMETIMESWHENEVER THEYLEAVE THE MILITARYTHEY CAN FEEL THAT AHUGE CHUNK OF THATFORMER LIFE - THATTHEY ONCE LOVED - ISNOW MISSING."VASQUEZ SERVES AS APROGRAM MANGERFOR THE VETERANSONE-STOP PROGRAM -"WE ARE DWYER" -NAMED AFTER 31-YEAR-OLD JOSEPHDWYER WHO DIED IN2008 AFTERSUFFERING FROM P-T-S-D....SHE SAYS SHE ISSTARTING TO SEE ANINCREASE NUMBER OFYOUNGER VETERANSENGAGE IN THEPROGRAM FOR HELP.."WE HAVE THISNOTION.THAT IT'SSELFISH OR WRONG TOTAKE CARE OFTHEMSELVES.SO IHAVE TO TRY TO BREAKDOWN THAT MENTALBARRIER AND JUST LETTHEM KNOW - YOU AREABSOLUTELY WORTHTAKING CARE OF."THAT'S WHY SHEJOINED LEADERSFROM VETERANSONE-STOP IN ALBANYTHIS WEEK... TOLOBBY ASKING FORSTATE FUNDING FORTHE 'WE ARE DWYERPROGRAM."EILEEN BUCKLEY."SINCE THE PROGRAMSTARTED A FEW YEARSAGO - IT HAS PROVIDEDHELP TO MORE THAN3,000 VETERANS INBOTH ERIE ANDNIAGARA COUNTIES.INBUFFALO, EILEEN