Elaine Mayfield lost her husband, Marcus Mayfield, a United States Air Force veteran, to suicide one year ago. Elaine is now trying to adjust to life without him and discover her new normal.
Advocates are still fighting to get the psychedelic drug approved as a mental health treatment, despite its rejection by the FDA's advisory committee in June. They face an uphill battle.
House Bill 414 sets up a grant program within the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to provide behavioral health services to military service members, veterans and their families.
The rate of suicide among veterans may be more than double what federal officials report annually because of undercounting related to drug overdose deaths and service record errors.
Experts say treatment that focuses on so-called 'invisible wounds of war,' such as substance use and post-traumatic stress disorders, is improving the quality of life for veterans. That’s likely contributing to the declining rate of suicide among former service members here in Georgia.
The Trump Administration's new suicide prevention strategy mentions the touchy subject of gun-safety. It will aim to fight the stigma around people seeking help during a mental health crisis.
