DENVER — The news of the death of at least 13 service members in an explosion near the Kabul airport – the first death of U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 18 months and the worst attack on U.S. troops there in a decade – can be difficult for veterans, service members and Gold Star families.
But Denver7 spoke to a veteran with a simple message: There is help.
Dan Jarvis, who served in Afghanistan in 2011, created 22 Zero to provide resources for those experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
22 Zero was founded in 2018 and named for the average of 22 veterans who die by suicide every day in the United States, according to Veterans Administration data. Jarvis told Denver7 he started the organization after his own bout with suicidal thoughts after his time in the military.
“We were just really looking and searching. And what we did is we ended up finding the answer, we found a solution for PTSD,” Jarvis said. “It's a visual kinesthetic dissociation process [...] So we modeled those processes, and started doing our own research. And then we started treating veterans and we started training.”
The technical terms, according to the organization’s website, are “trauma resiliency protocol” and “emotions management process.”
In layman’s terms: Training the brain to leave traumatic experiences and negative emotions behind. And those methods, Jarvis says, are as important as ever with the chaos unfolding in Afghanistan.
“The majority of our peer coaches struggled with PTSD, so they understand the feelings and the emotions connected to what's going on,” he said.
Anyone who needs help with PTSD can visit 22 Zero here to get in touch with a coach.
If you or a veteran you know is in crisis, call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 or text 838255. We have also put together a list of other mental health resources specifically for Colorado where you can reach out if you need help.
