MN Marine Veteran shares his story of tragic loss and triumph to help prevent veteran self-harm

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) -

Marine Veteran Dan Hanson was deployed to Ramadi, Iraq and found himself suffering during and between deployments.

Hanson said, “That deployment started with a Marine from Moose Lake, MN taking his own life and we progressed through that deployment losing 35 guys. It was extremely... challenging.”

Not long after that Hanson said eight other marines took their own lives, one of them being his friend. As close to home as his friend’s death was, Hanson didn’t expect the feeling of loss to feel even closer, until he got a call from his brother.

“[My brother] called me and wanted me to come out [to his house]. And it’s not something we did in the past. We didn’t - we didn’t have those conversations. We didn’t talk about suicide. We didn’t talk about... really, if we are struggling with anything,” Hanson explained.

He got a call from his brother’s wife’s best friend saying his brother committed suicide.

Hanson said his brother taking his own life desensitized him to daily life.

“I woke up every day not wanting to be alive. I went to bed every night hoping that I wouldn’t wake up,” said Hanson.

Hanson numbed himself with drugs and alcohol and even attempted to take his own life, which led him to the help he needed.

“I got a lot of help from the actual Minneapolis VA Medical Center, and I got help from my community. And it’s the reason why I’m in this position now, because I want to be that person to have that conversation with those veterans. I want to be the person that can help as many veterans as I possibly can,” Hanson hopes.

Now, Hanson works on the veteran crisis hotline and works to see these vets break through their struggle.

Hanson said, “There is a lot of folks that are hurt right now and if we can help some of these veterans get to a better place, those are the individuals that are going to be best served to lift other people up.”

In the midst of dealing with all that loss, Hanson developed a stigma around talking about it all. He wants to help prepare those service members for the mental strain on top of the physical hardships.

Hanson advises to “stay connected and don’t allow yourself to be on an island and be willing to talk about the tough stuff.”

When veterans take the leap to seek help from a psychologist like Dr. Chris Chiros, she wants them to remember... “No feeling is final, right? So, we that with suicidality, a lot of times that is a feeling that comes. Those are a series of thoughts that can come and if given enough time, if given support, they can go as well.”

Both Hanson and Chiros have seen veterans go from a place of darkness to a point that they’re spreading their joy with others, and they encourage anyone struggling with their mental health to do the same.

If you know a veteran who feels isolated or in need of help, encourage them to call the crisis hotline at 988 to speak to someone who knows their struggle.

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