Veterans discuss PTSD and suicide after war

Veterans discuss PTSD signs
Veterans discuss PTSD and suicide after war
Written by
Laura Peters
Jun. 26, 2013

STAUNTON — Ben Shaw had blown all his money on toys and alcohol. He was living on his parents’ couch at 28 years old.

Once a highly esteemed Marine, he came back from the Iraq War in 2007 after being overseas for four years.

He says he doesn’t remember much of his life after he returned home. He took almost all his money to purchase a motorcycle and hit the road. The rest of his cash, he drank it away.

“Don’t ask me what happened during that trip, I was drunk for most of it,” he admitted.

He had found love, then had his heart broken after his fiancé cheated on him, left him and took the ring.

During a PTSD and suicide forum at VFW Post 2216 in Staunton, he told his story about how he thought he could escape all his problems with ending his life.

“Late 2008, I’m sitting here grasping at straws, by process of elimination I tried all these things, nothing’s working, nothing’s sticking.

Nothing was sort of hoisting me out of where I am,” Shaw said. “I remember just mulling over this and at one point I just caught myself saying, well if this doesn’t work, I’ll just kill myself. It was stunning. It was not something I expected. It was not something I intentionally thought about.”

To this day, he can’t explain the thinking behind his suicidal thoughts.
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To learn more about what is going on with suicides after war read, THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR