Letter to the Editor — For more than 80 years, Easterseals NH has had a proud tradition of providing services to those in need. From birth to end of life programs Easterseals provides services for the full lifespan. Ranging from Early Supports & Services and our Child Development Centers to Community Based services for young adults and our Seniors Program, we are here for whatever you need. In addition, Easterseals has also been on the forefront of issues relating to substance misuse treatment and Military & Veterans Services.

For more than 10 years, our Military & Veterans Services Program (M&VS) has provided services to nearly 12,000 veterans, services members and their families. Through a one-of-a-kind Care Coordination model, individuals have received the help they need for challenges including suicide prevention, employment, homelessness, substance misuse treatment, transportation, legal concerns, and mental health issues resulting from post-traumatic stress and/or traumatic brain injury. Read More

The 2018 Suicide Data Report released by the US Department of Veterans Affair’s Office of Suicide Prevention showed that across the country, the suicide rates increased for both Veterans and non-Veterans, underscoring the fact that suicide is a national public health concern that affects people everywhere. The average number of Veterans who died by suicide each day remained unchanged at 20.

Learn to Recognize the Signs

Not all veterans in crisis will show signs of intent to harm themselves, but some will show signs of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and/or hopelessness, such as:

• Appearing sad or depressed most of the time
• Feeling anxious, agitated, or having trouble with sleeping/sleeping all the time
• Neglecting personal welfare, deteriorating physical appearance
• Withdrawing from friends, family, and society
• Losing interest in hobbies, work, school, or other things one used to care about
• Frequent and dramatic mood changes
• Feelings of excessive guilt or shame
• Feelings of failure or decreased performance
• Feeling that life is not worth living, having no sense of purpose
• Feeling trapped/desperate—like there is no way out of a situation, no solution

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