Help Reduce Suicide Rates
Coronado, California November 10, 2017: The Coronado Bridge has been called the deadliest bridge in America. Nearly 400 people have committed suicide by jumping off this bridge. Unfortunately, this is the fate of many people who suffer with mental health and substance abuse issues.
Many of our Veterans have found the Coronado Bridge to be a convenient and easily accessible means to this end. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the risk for suicide is 22 percent higher among Veterans when compared to U.S. non-Veteran adults. VA Secretary Dr. David J. Shulkin said “These findings are deeply concerning, which is why I made suicide prevention my top clinical priority.” We must all do our part in helping to prevent suicides especially among our Veterans who have risked their lives in service to our country. On Wednesday, November 8, 2017, Dr. Matthew J. Bruhin, Ph.D., LMFT, the CEO of Apex Recovery Rebab was on his way home to Coronado. As he drove across the bridge, he noticed a man walking along the edge. He watched as the man then put one leg over the 3-foot-high wall of the bridge, prompting Dr. Bruhin to take immediate action. He pulled his car over and began speaking to him. Thankfully, the man was convinced not to jump. During their conversation, Dr. Bruhin learned that the man was a Veteran and had recently become homeless. He also had a history of substance abuse, like many of our country’s Veterans. Apex Recovery Rehab, one the country’s leading addiction treatment centers, as well as, the only residential treatment center offering all levels of care to hold a Joint Commission Certification offered aid to this individual. He is now in counseling and a GoFundMe page was set up for him by the community of Coronado earning $1,175 to date. You can contribute to this fund by going to https://www.gofundme.com/f/coronado-bridge-cares-fund. He was also placed in one of Apex Recovery Rehab’s premier treatment facilities. It is everyday citizens, like us, who can help save and improve the lives of others. There are many things each of us can do to prevent the rate of suicide on the Coronado Bridge. We can contact our local government and insist that the bridge be modified by installing nets underneath it. Perhaps, the 3-foot-high guard rail is not enough of an impediment to prevent people from easily climbing over it. Finally, we should all get more involved in helping other people by speaking out about Mental Health, Drug Addiction and Veteran’s Suicide issues.