There’s an epidemic in the military community, one in need of help.

ep·i·dem·ic – n. a sudden, widespread occurrence of a particular undesirable phenomenon.

We have been at Fort Riley for a total of five years between two cycles here, but in that time, there hasn’t been such a heartbreaking time as the last 90 days or so.

There’s been an epidemic of news stories that read “service member found unresponsive.”

Code 22 is a tough topic, but as I’ve learned in my time as both a service member and a spouse, when it affects those in uniform, those at home are going to feel it, too. When a dependent, whether spouse or child, is lost to this code, it isn’t publicized in the same way and, often times, may go unknown to the general population. While understanding the privacy and sensitivity of the situation, this also dulls the reality of how severe this is.

One lost, whether a service member, a spouse, a veteran, a parent, or a child, is too many.

As a community, what can we do? We can ask.

As someone who struggled with past situations from my time in service and didn’t actually get help until I was on my way out—it’s hard. It’s hard to admit you need help and even harder to actually get it.

But, I don’t want to know where I would be now had I not taken that step.

It’s been almost seven years since my medical retirement, and my most recent mental health appointment was a couple weeks ago. I’m still on meds to keep things a little more leveled out and to sleep but most would never know.

That’s the thing—we may never know what goes on behind a closed door. The struggles we may never understand, but we can be there with support.

Here are some options in case you or someone you know needs them:

• Suicide Hotline: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• Installation or unit chaplain
• MFLC (Military Family Life Consultants)
• Military One Source
• Afterdeployment.org
• Be There Peer Support Line: Call 844-357-PEER (7337) and Text 480-360-6188
• Courage Beyond: Call 1-866-781-8010
• Defense Centers of Excellence: Call 1-866-966-1020
• Military Rape Crisis Center: Call 1-617-381-4795
• National Veterans Foundation Hotline: 1-888-777-4443
• Operation Reach Out: smart phone app