Bay pines va veteran reminds other veterans that you are not alone | va bay pines health care | veterans affairs

Norman Wooten, a U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran and patient at Bay Pines VA Healthcare System believes raising awareness for suicide prevention is a never-ending labor of love. “It all started

with a phone conversation with my daughter who lives in Jacksonville,” said Wooten. “She asked if there was anything she could do to help, and I told her about the Veteran Crisis Line. From

there, she designed a card and sent me a couple hundred; they were gone in days.” Wooten began distributing these cards in 2022, shortly after the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) updated to a

988, press 1, option as for the suicide hotline. This change came as a result of the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, which established 988 as the universal number for suicide

prevention and mental health crises.  Since making the switch, the VCL has received more than 60,000 calls a month from Veterans seeking help. For his part, Wooten has handed out more than

4,000 cards to Veterans and others in need. “I pass out a card almost every day,” said Wooten. “Walking down the street, you can see the hopelessness and wanting in some people’s eyes, and I

want them to know that I understand their pain and that they are not alone.” Wooten served two years in Vietnam as a helicopter crew chief, mechanic, and door gunner; the experiences from

his time in service have had a lasting impact on his life. Wooten noticed that many Veterans are grappling with the same challenges he dealt with when he returned home from Vietnam. “I was

dealing with ethical dilemmas and survivors’ guilt,” Wooten said. “At the time, it was something that men did not talk about because we were not supposed to express emotions. It is ok to

talk about these things, and that is something I try to get people to understand.” After reaching what he believed was his lowest point, Wooten sought help from Bay Pines VA.  For the last

15 years, he has been a recipient of mental health services for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He credits his faith in God and the love of his family with getting him started on the road to

recovery.  “If I can help one person, I know that it was all worth it,” said Wooten. “You never know what type of stress most people are dealing with on a daily basis, so I ask Veterans to

let me help them because I want them to know that they are not alone.”