Stop Soldier Suicides Awareness event

STOP SOLDIER SUICIDES Awareness Event September 18th (press release)

Tucson, AZ –  The non-profit, Healing Arizona Veterans, organization announced today it is sponsoring a Stop Soldier Suicides Awareness Event to be held in Armory Park, Thursday,  September 18. The event is to increase public awareness to the tragic epidemic of 22 veterans a day committing suicide with 1 active duty military member committing suicide every 18 hours.

The temporary suicide awareness structure to be seen at the Armory Park event, is being duplicated in cities throughout America with similar awareness events. Healing Arizona Veterans is not only bringing attention to this national tragedy but also bringing awareness to their comprehensive healing program to help stop these numbers from happening. Since the beginning of 2014 there have been over 6000 deaths by suicide among our veteran population.

The main mission of HAV is to help returning veterans heal from their TBI/PTSD conditions and finally be able to “come home again.” At the present time there are hundreds of thousands returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan that are suffering from the invisible wounds of Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to their exposures to blasts from the frequent useage of IEDs and RPGs in the war.

These veterans are having difficulty readjusting after their experiences in war. Sadly, a small percentage of these returning veterans cannot deal with re-entry and commit suicide. At present thousands of veterans are incarcerated monthly and tens of thousands find themselves homeless. In most cases these veterans suffer from TBI and/or PTSD. 

Unfortunately, the only treatments veterans receive at the VA hospitals are drug treatments and talk therapy. Because veterans inform other veterans, many do not go in for treatment. The only PROVEN treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury is hyperbaric oxygen therapy. It is now provided free of charge to all veterans in Oklahoma and ten other states are passing legislation to provide it for their veterans.

Since this treatment is not available at the Arizona VA hospitals, Healing Arizona Veterans is soliciting donors and sponsors to enable them to provide this treatment to qualifying veterans FREE of charge. HAV has developed one of the most comprehensive healing programs in the country led by their Medical Director, Dr. Carol Henricks, a Tucson neurologist specializing in treatments of the brain.  

The event HAV has created for September 18 at Armory Park is to bring attention to the epidemic tragedy of suicides within the veteran community and to make veterans and the public aware there is a better drug-free solution. Hours for the event are 8 AM – 1:00 PM.

Charles Spillar, Media Relations

520-398-7002

Carolyn’s note:  Armory Park is located  at 221 S. 6th Avenue, just east of S. 6th Avenue, between E. 12th and E. 13th Streets in downtown Tucson.