This campaign comes on the heels of some grim statistics. Roughly 22 bedrooms commit suicide every day. Some studies suggest suicide risk is higher in those who suffer from PTSD. I spoke earlier today with Nathan Fletcher founder of the three wise men veterans foundation which is behind the new outreach campaign. Nathan Fletcher, thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me. We have been hearing for years about veterans, especially from Iraq and Afghanistan struggling with PTSD. What stops the situation from getting better? I think there are number of things. I don't think we fully understand exactly what posttraumatic stress does to the brain and how best to make the long-term investment. Over the last four view -- few years, I have asked what it is we do to make a substantial impact. The simple reality is an overwhelming majority of veterans a struggle from posttraumatic stress won't get help. That is due solely to the stigma. As a veteran myself I feel no shame to tell you that a number of years ago the United States Marine Corps destroyed my left hip. Had six massive hits surgeries. I did not want for seven months. If it was socially acceptable, I would she pulled down my pants a jury this car. I came back from that. I climbed a mountain. There is no shame in our physical injuries. We brag about them. For somehow if that same experience cut the mental health injury, and a veteran would openly say a posttraumatic stress. That is what we have to flip. We have to flip that where veterans are comfortable saying there is nothing wrong with me because of a lot I went through. The injuries make me stronger. We really want to we coin it as an idea posttraumatic growth. Because of what I went through, I am more resilient in a more passionate, commitment, and love. That is our message to veterans. Get help. There's nothing wrong with you. You can overcome this. We often use the term PTSD without really knowing what it means. How does posttraumatic stress the fact the lives of veterans? It affects everyone differently. That is one of the things that everyone is -- there is a continuum from mild reactions to severe reactions. I heard it described as a natural reaction to be in an unnatural situation. Posttraumatic stress isn't just veterans to go through combat. It is women have been victims of rape or sexual assault. It is children have been victims of domestic violence. It is anyone who has been in a traumatic situation. It is the breadth inability to process and cope with the unnatural situation. One of the symptoms we see most common is frustration him irritation, the inability to sleep. There is a tendency toward alcohol and substance abuse to cope and do with the mechanisms. The treatments vary. The veterans that we talked of consulted with it ranges from traditional counseling to a group of veterans who served together. Every morning, rain or shine, they do it. Some of it is fitness and some of it is faith. A message to veterans is not really prescribing a specific treatment. It is more sane if you just overcome the murder of saying I cannot do this by myself, I need help and you make that acknowledgment, you find there is a world of veterans who have been through the exact same thing that you have any find there is a much brighter path. One of my favorite lines from the video we released as a Vietnam veteran going pay it gets better. He shared of -- a story of 20 are struggling. Is that if I as from 20 years ago, I would not have lost the last 20. You thought. Question -- country and now you have two fight for your family and your future. There would be no shame. If you have been shot you would've been patched up. That is what we are trying to get through. As a veteran who served in combat, have you struggle with PTSD? I have never seen a lot of the traditional manifestations a posttraumatic stress. I will say combat affected me. It affected me in a deep when I have a hard time -- Howard Ain Jean Summers is a beautiful couple who tragically lost their son to suicide. They talk a lot about how they do not know what he was going through. He was too ashamed to tell them. I've talked to them a lot about this campaign. A bring them up because anytime I am around Jean, I cry. I stop anytime I am around a mom who has lost a son or daughter, particularly want to suicide, that is when I think it has affected me made an impact. The weird thing about posttraumatic stress is a friend of mine who served together with me in Iraq outside Falluja, we want every alley together. We were blown up the same number of times. We were in the same number of firefights. Have come back and lived a healthy life. I sleep well and I exercise. I go about my professional exercises. He has not gotten out of bed for 15 years. There is no rhyme or reason for you it hits. There is often a reason for win. A lot of it happened years after. That is where I think we can do a great service in educating folks and helping understand and help make the connection to treatment. In this campaign you are not going to be urging veterans to do one specific treatment over another. Do we know enough, can veterans get over this? We have seen success. We know from a VA study that was reported last year, the suicide rates exponentially over for folks were enrolled in a VA program. We don't say it gets as good as it was before. We say it gets better. There is no doubt that veterans will struggle for the rest of their life with what they went through. As a society we need to have a real conversation about that before we make the decision to send them into war. We need to understand the consequences. I have been speaking when Nathan Fletcher, founder of the three wise men veterans foundation. Thank you very much. Thank you. Like the song says, you've got to have friends. Coming up, philosophical perspective on friendship. It is 12 that 48 newer listing to KPBS Midday Edition.
Roughly 22 veterans commit suicide every day. Some studies suggest suicide risk is higher in those who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder.
Monday is National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day, and a local organization is launching a campaign urging struggling veterans to have the courage to ask for help.
The Three Wise Men Foundation, founded by former San Diego Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, is rolling out a public service announcement on social media on Monday that features local veterans who suffer from PTSD.
Fletcher, who is a veteran himself, told KPBS Midday Edition on Monday that the majority of veterans who suffer from PTSD don't get help because of the stigma.
"There's no shame in our physical injuries, " he said. "We brag about them. But (if) that same experience caused a mental health injury, no veteran would openly say, 'I have post-traumatic stress.' And that's what we have to flip."
