What is extra sad is I haven’t seen any of the comments ask why he couldn’t just go to the VA hospital and get help. The answer is that they’re terribly underfunded because the damaged vets aren’t of use anymore. The US treats our vets like shit and make a huge deal of mouth service and fetishizing the military for those that don’t know and may enlist in the future. Why not state funded mental healthcare for ALL vets? Why not a separate process from the intentionally long and complicated one that is necessary to receive other care? Because buying more guns and corporate tax breaks are a better value to the corrupt politicians. Why spend money to take care of them when you can just tell them “thank you for your service” in front of a camera and your entire base will jerk you off for it?

My mentally ill cousin (former Navy) is laying in bed with cancer in a place that is so severely understaffed that any irregularity in family visits would be tantamount to neglect. The VA’s incompetence means all doctor visits and communications they pass on MUST be confirmed by a third party. I used to be pissed he wasn’t getting better care at some VA, but after dealing with those at the VA, I realize there are no sufficient options. They don’t exist, we don’t provide them. Look at the resources in the comments and ask yourself: why are they all private companies/nonprofits?