Laura Kaye draws attention to prevalence of suicide among vets

Laura Kaye, author of Hard to Hold On To, finds more than just a story in the new novella in her Hard Ink series.

Laura: Every once in a while, a character and a book compel you to take his story a step further. Something about their story or their history or their wounds crawls under your skin and demands that there's something more important there than just a story. And that's what Edward "Easy" Cantrell, the strong, brave, but very troubled veteran hero of Hard to Hold On To, did for me.

So, here's what I'm doing with that feeling: I'm donating all of my proceeds of the first two weeks' sales of this e-original novella to a national non-profit organization that assists wounded veterans as they transition to civilian life. So that's all sales through Sept. 1.

And here's why Easy got to me this way. His character is depressed and dealing with untreated PTSD from his years spent in the military and, specifically, from his survivors' guilt over the death right in front of him of his best friend. These feelings of combat-related guilt combined with his isolation from his surviving teammates have given way to suicidal ideation, and by the time you get inside Easy's head in Hard to Hold On To, you see how those thoughts color his perception of every single thing in his life.

But Easy's story didn't get to me — doesn't still get to me — just because it's a good, heart-wrenching story. It got to me because it's based on what real veterans are going through every day. Combat-related guilt is the most significant predictor of suicide attempts and of preoccupation with suicide after discharge from the military. And the statistics show that a lot of veterans are grappling with this problem. In fact, suicide is a little-discussed epidemic among veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Here are some of the more staggering statistics, according to the Department of Defense. In the U.S. Army, which has the highest suicide rate among the branches (48.7% of all military suicides in 2012), the suicide rate in 2012 was 30 per 100,000, compared with 14 per 100,000 among civilians and 18 per 100,000 in 2008. In 2012, 841 active-duty service members attempted or committed suicide. Among veterans, as of November 2013, 22 committed suicide every day. Every. Day. I cannot read or think about that statistic without getting choked up. A frightening 30% of veterans say they've considered suicide, and 45% say they know an Iraq or Afghanistan veteran who has attempted or committed suicide.

But this problem is more than a list of numbers. It's what real men and women are facing. Since Hard to Hold On To released on Tuesday, members of several military families have contacted me with their stories. One woman shared that her husband lost a military friend to suicide just three days earlier — and it was the third such loss to suicide he'd experienced. Another woman shared that her husband was an Army veteran who served in the Balkans, got air-lifted out around the age of 21, and suffered from severe depression and PTSD, ultimately attempting suicide, after returning home. Another shared that her son had committed suicide, and believed the only way to combat the problem was by coming at it with acceptance and knowledge so that people get the help they need.

I've only been touched by suicide once in my life, when a very close friend took his own life after years of unsuccessfully treated depression. The 10th anniversary of his death is this Saturday, and I miss him and think of him often. I cannot imagine how it would feel to have more than one experience like that in my life as so many folks related to the military these days do.

Suicide is a process that begins with ideas and thoughts, followed by planning, and finally followed by a suicidal act. If you or someone you love is experiencing these thoughts, please seek immediate medical help or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 (TALK). This service works with civilians of all ages, active-duty military, and veterans.

Writing about a severely depressed character is one of the most challenging things I've ever done, but also one of the most important. I hope Easy's story raises awareness of the problems these brave men and women — and our country as a whole — face. But awareness is not enough. Which is why I'm donating all of my first two weeks' sales to the cause, in the hope that I can help keep someone else's Edward "Easy" Cantrell from becoming one of the 22, either.

Thanks for reading,

Laura Kaye

Find out more about Laura and her books at www.laurakayeauthor.com.