PTSD Awareness Month: Let’s Talk About Military Mental Health and Veteran Suicide Prevention
Every June, we observe PTSD Awareness Month—a time dedicated to shedding light on one of the most pressing mental health challenges affecting millions of Americans, especially our military community. This month isn’t just about raising awareness; it’s about inspiring action, reducing stigma, and creating space for meaningful conversations.
Whether you’re a veteran, a military family member, a mental health advocate, or someone who just wants to support those who serve, this month is for YOU!
“The Facts, The Stats” That Demand Our Attention:
Did you know?
PTSD affects about 11–20% of veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan. VA Public Health
On average, 17 veterans die by suicide each day in the U.S. 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report
Women veterans are twice as likely to die by suicide compared to civilian women. Suicide Prevention Resource Center
Only 40-60% of veterans with mental health conditions seek treatment, often due to stigma or barriers to care. American Addiction Centers
The Hidden Battle: PTSD in the Military Community
Military culture, while instilling remarkable strength and resilience, can also inadvertently create barriers to accessing mental health care. The emphasis on toughness, self-reliance, and mission readiness often discourages service members from acknowledging their struggles or seeking support when needed.
Military service brings with it a distinct set of stressors. Frequent deployments, relocations, prolonged family separations, and exposure to combat can impose a heavy psychological burden. Despite this, stigma, concerns about potential career repercussions, and limited access to culturally competent care often deter both service members and veterans from pursuing the help they deserve.
Common challenges military members face include:
Reintegration stress after deployment
Survivor’s guilt
Sleep disturbances and nightmares
Avoidance behaviors (e.g., isolating from friends/family)
Hypervigilance and difficulty relaxing
Moral injury, or the emotional toll of acting against one’s personal code during service
Breaking the Silence: Let's Talk About It
Silence can be deadly. By normalizing conversations around PTSD, mental health and Veteran suicide prevention, we empower veterans and military families to seek support without shame or fear. One of the most persistent myths surrounding mental health treatment is that seeking help is a sign of weakness. In military culture, this misconception can be particularly damaging. The reality is that recognizing when you need support and taking action to get it requires tremendous courage and strength.
Here’s how YOU can be part of the solution:
Learn the signs. Know what PTSD looks like so you can recognize it for yourself or in others.
Share your story. If you’ve experienced PTSD or mental health struggles, your voice might be the one that helps someone else take that first step.
Use people-first language. Say “a veteran living with PTSD” instead of “a PTSD vet.” Respect matters.
Support military mental health orgs. Groups like Stop Soldier Suicide, Wounded Warrior Project, Cohen Veterans Network, and Mission Roll Call are doing vital work.
Resources That Save Lives
Immediate Help:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255, Press 1 (or text 838255)
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
DVA Ongoing support:
VA Mental Health Services: Contact your local VA Medical Center.
Vet Centers: Community-based counseling centers specifically for veterans.
Military Family Life Counselors (MFLC): Free, confidential counseling for military families. Military Onesource
MSO/VSO’s fighting for the cause:
Military Spouse Advocacy Network: Mental Health Ally (MHA) program
MSAN, in partnership with Psych Hub certifies volunteers, staff, and mentees as Mental Health Allies.
Veteran Spouses Network: Real Talk: Life & Love with PTSD
Blue Star Families: Blue Star Support Circles
Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s: PTSD Family Coach
Taking Action in June—and Beyond
You don’t need to be a mental health professional to make a difference. You just need to care—and to act.
Here’s what you can do right now:
Share a resource on your social media. Something simple like the Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1.
Check in on a veteran you know. Ask how they’re really doing.
Volunteer or donate to an organization working in suicide prevention.
Educate yourself. Read a memoir, listen to a podcast, or attend a local event during PTSD Awareness Month.
Final Thought: Hope Is Real, and Help Is Available
Recovery from PTSD and other mental health challenges is not only possible—it is happening every day. With the right treatment, support, and time, veterans can and do heal. Evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) have demonstrated remarkable success in helping individuals reclaim their lives.
This June, as we recognize PTSD Awareness Month, let us move beyond awareness to meaningful action. That action might look like checking in on a veteran friend, volunteering with a mental health organization, or taking the time to learn more about these critical issues. Each of us has a role to play.
Our veterans served with honor and sacrifice. Now, it is our turn to ensure they have access to the mental health care and support they have rightfully earned. Every life saved, every person who finds healing, and every family preserved strengthens the fabric of our entire community, and our national security quite frankly.
Seeking help is not a sign of weakness, it is an act of courage. PTSD does not have to define a person’s life. Our service members have given too much for our nation and for our country, to be defined by a diagnosis. With effective treatment, access to resources, and strong community support, recovery is not only possible—it is within reach.
This June, in addition to wearing teal ribbons, Let’s talk. Let’s listen. Let’s show up. Let’s support and advocate—for our veterans, for our families, and for the future.
Monique Ekundayo is a Military spouse to a Naval Officer stationed at NS-Norfolk. And while she calls San Diego, California, home, she and her little guy are currently residing in the National Capital Region. In her free time, she likes to tour the area and visit a new museum and tourist attraction at every given opportunity. #GoNavy