LORENZO
LORENZO HALL, QVC. 4@ , WUSA9.
, WUSA9.
, WUSA9. >>> VETERINARIANS AROUND THE4@
COUNTRY ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR
OWN LIVES, A CDC REPORT SHOWS
VETERINARIANS HAS A SUICIDE
RATE THAT OUT PACES THE
NATIONAL AVERAGE.
NATIONAL AVERAGE. WUSA9 REPORTER WHITNEY WHITNEY
SAYS IT IS TIME TO START
TALKING ABOUT THE HEART ACHE IN
THE HOSPITAL. 4@
>> OREO.
>> OREO.
>> OREO. I CRIED IN THE LIVING ROOM,
ACTUALLY THE PETS JUMPED UP ON
THE COUCH.
THE COUCH. I PUT THE GUN DOWN.
I WOULD HAVE KILLED MYSELF IF I
STAYED IN CLINICAL PRACTICE FOR
ANY LENGTH OF TIME.
I HAD EVERY KIND OF PET YOU CAN
IMAGINE AS A KID.
PET SKUNK AND DUCKS AND SNAKES
AND FLYING SQUIRREL. 4@
>> Reporter: IN HIS TEENAGE 4@
YEARS, DR. WILL HOPED TO TURN
IT INTO CAREER.
>> I MANAGERED IN ANIMAL
SCIENCE.
SCIENCE.
SCIENCE. >> Reporter: HE PLANNED TO RUN
HIS OWN PRACTICE UNTIL LIFE AND
DEATH IN THE CLINIC SENT4@ HIM
SLIDING INTO DEPRESSION.
SMOOSOME OF THE WORST TIMES ARE
WHEN YOU HAD THE BEST OWNER AND
THE BEST PATIENT AND YOU DO
EVERYTHING RIGHT AND THE OWNER @
IS ON BOARD AND YOU DO THE
WHOLE PROCEDURE AND EVERYTHING
GOES GREAT. 4@
THEN THE PATIENT STILL DIES.
I JUST COULDN'T SHAKE THE 4@
CRUSHING PRESSURE IN MY CHEST.
>> Reporter: HE LOOKED FOR
RELIEF IN THE BARREL OF A GUN.
>> I WENT UP TO THE BEDROOM, 4@
GOT MY PISTOL.
I HAD THE BULLET IN THE GUN,
AND THE GUN TO MY HEAD.
MY FINGER ON THE TRIGGER.
I DON'T KNOW WLIE I DIDN'T DO
IT.
IT.
IT. MAYBE
IT. MAYBE I WAS SCARED OR MAYBE I
HAD HOPE.
HAD HOPE.
HAD HOPE. QUIT MY JOB. 4@
I THINK A WEEK AFTER THAT.
>> Reporter: IN HIS NEW HOME IN
ALEXANDRIA, HE FOUND A NEW
PERSPECTIVE. 4@
PERSPECTIVE. 4@ >> THANK GOD EVE4@NTUALLY I DID
BECAUSE IT SAVED MY LIFE.
>> Reporter: MOST OF US DON'T
CONSIDER THE GRAVE AND HEART
BREAKING NATURE OF VETERINARY
MEDICINE, NOW A CDC REPORT IS 4@
EXPOSING AN ALARMING TREND. 4@
VET SUICIDE RATES CAN RUN THREE
TIMES HIGHER THAN THE REST OF
THE POPULATION.
THE POPULATION. BETWEEN 1979 AND 2015, 398
VETERINARIANS TOOK THEIR OWN
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. DR.
LIFE. DR. KEITH DEL CRUISE WAS ONE OF
THEM. 4@
THEM. 4@
THEM. 4@ >> EVERYTHING HAS BEEN
DIFFERENT SINCE THEN.
>> Reporter: DR. CHRIS MILLER 4@
AND DR. DELACRUZ MET MORE THAN @
10 YEARS AGO, HE WAS FIRST
MILLER'S MEN TOUR AND THEN A
FRIEND AND THEN COLLEAGUE IN
DC.
DC.
DC. >>
DC. >> WE
DC. >> WE TALKED ABOUT HIM ALL THE
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. HE
TIME. HE HAD A GREAT LAUGH. 4@
HE WAS ALWAYS, ALWAYS LAUGHING,
ALWAYS TELLING JOKES, A GREAT
GUY.
GUY.
GUY. >>
GUY. >> Reporter: EVENANE CROWDED
BACK ROOM, DR. MILKER STILL
FEEL THE 4@SPACE LEFT BEHIND. @
>> I MISS HIM A LOT.
HE WAS A RELY GOOD BUDDY. 4@
SO, I THINK THE MOST DIFFICULT
THING IS EVERYONE WHO KNEW HIM
FELT LIKE THEY MISSED
SOMETHING, WE FELT LIKE IF WE
COULD GO BACK, WE COULD CHANGE
THINGS.
THINGS.
THINGS. >> Reporter: HIS FAMILY INSISTS
HIS WORK WAS HIS JOY, AND NOT
THE REASON FOR HIS DEATH. 4@
>> CHECKED HER IN TODAY?
>> Reporter: AS DR. MILLER 4@
MANAGES HIS GROWING STAFF, HE
IS MOST AFRAID OF THE PAIN HE 4@
CAN'T SEE. 4@
DO YOU WORRY THAT SOMETHING
WILL HAPPEN, LIKE WHAT HAPPENED
WITH KEITH?
WITH KEITH? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY. I THINK THE FRUSTRATING 4@THING
ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IS THAT WE
ARE NOT POSITIVE HOW TO STOP
IT. 4@
IT. 4@
IT. 4@ >>
IT. 4@ >> Reporter: THE LIST OF
BURDENS FOR VETERINARIANS IS
LONG AND VARIED, STUDENT DEBT
IN 2016 AVERAGED $143,000 WITH
SALARIES STARTING AROUND
$56,000.
$56,000.
$56,000. THE MATH CAN BE DIZZYING.
ADD OWNERS WHO CAN'T BE PLEASED
AND DEATH ON A DAILY BASIS, TOO
MANY V4@ETERINARIANS SAY THEY A
DEPRESSED OR CONSIDERING
SUICIDE.
SUICIDE.
SUICIDE. >> THE 4@TIME TO WHISPER ABOUT
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS IS OVER.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT OUT IN
THE OPEN. 4@
4@
4@ >>
4@ >> NOT
4@ >> NOT SOMETHING I, I GUESS AM @
PROUD OF, AND NOT SOMETHING I
HIDE.
HIDE.
HIDE. TAKES ONE PERSON SEES YOUR
STORY 4@AND HEARS MY STORY, AND
SAYS YOUSHGS KNOW WHAT?
NOT TODAY. 4@
AND THEN THEY ARE ABLE TO
CHANGE THEIR LIFE UP. 4@
THAT IS A DIFFERENCE I 4@WANT T
MAKE.
MAKE.
MAKE. >>
MAKE. >> Reporter: THE STATISTIC
ABOUT VETERINARIANS IS ALARMING
BUT THIS IS REALLY A STORY
ABOUT ALL OF US . SO MANY
PEOPLE HAVE JOBS THAT WEIGH
HEAVILY ON OUR MINDS AND
HEARTS.
HEARTS.
HEARTS. ON OUR WEBSITE WE HAVE
RESOURCES 4@FOR COMBATTING
SUICIDE AND PROMOTING GOOD
MENTAL HEALTH. 4@
THE FOENL NUMB4@ER FOR SUICIDE
HOTLINE IS THERE AND ON THE
BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN RIGHT
NOW. 4@
NOW. 4@
NOW. 4@ THAT IS 1-800-273-8255.
>> REAL EYE OPENER, I BET YOU
MOST PEOPLE HAD NO IDEA ABOUT
THIS STATISTIC.
THIS STATISTIC. I WONDER, WHAT IS THE INDUSTRY
DOING TO HELP VETERINARIANS WHO
MAY BE DEPRESSED OR CONSIDERING
SUICIDE?
SUICIDE?
SUICIDE? >> THE AMERICAN VETERINARY
MEDICAL ASSOCIATION IS TAKE
AGGOOD HEART LOOK, ON THE
WEBSITE THEY HAVE A WELL BEING
ASSESSMENT AND TRAINING TO HELP
4@COLLEAGUES SUFFERING, VERY
IMPORTANT RESOURCE.
IMPORTANT RESOURCE. WE HAVE A LINK ON OUR WEBSITE
AS WELL.
AS WELL.
AS WELL. A LONG LIST OF RESOURCES TO
CHECK OUT.
CHECK OUT. WE