A routine phone call that saved a Veteran’s life

In February 2023, Army Veteran Merrill Davidson parked his car and waited. His plan was to wait for the sun to go down and end his own life by walking into traffic.

The sky grew darker and the time to act on his plan grew closer. Then, a light. Davidson’s phone rang. A medical scheduling assistant called him to schedule an appointment with blood draw, but she heard something in his voice and asked him how he was doing.

“I broke down and told her everything,” Davidson said. “She got me in touch with the on-call therapist, and he talked me down from fulfilling my plan of ending my life. Within about a week, I was in intensive therapy working through those problems.”

Davidson was in daily cognitive processing therapy (CPT) at VA Salt Lake City Health Care System (VASLCHCS). CPT is a form of therapy that involves repeatedly going over the details of a traumatic event to allow your brain to slow down so you can look at the details and process what happened.

“The first couple of sessions could feel more distressing than what the Veterans are used to because the default mode for people is avoidance because we don’t want to think about our pain or our trauma,” said Dr. Amber Martinson, clinical Psychologist VASLCHCS.  “But in the long term, it’s that avoidance that actually perpetuates pain and anxiety and trauma.”

Davidson said he needed to find the right motivation to continue his CPT program.

“There were times where I wanted to quit and just cut myself off, but at the same time, I didn’t want to let my family down. I didn’t want to be one of those 22 a day,” he said, referring to the commonly cited statistic that an average of 22 Veterans die by suicide every day.

When he looks back on that evening in the parking lot, Davidson is grateful that VASLCHCS called and got him on the road to recovery.

“Life does get better,” he said. “I’ve been able to reconnect with my children and my ex-wife. Three months ago, I had my first grandbaby, and I thought I’d never see that happen.”

In addition to holding his granddaughter on the day she was born, Davidson has greater hope for the future than he ever has.

“I just moved up to Wyoming from Utah; I had a nice job there and I was working with great people, but I want to be close to my family,” he said. “Now I’m closer to my grandbaby. I’m closer to my kids and then I’m going to be getting married in about a year.”

Davidson found hope in therapy and his message to other Veterans is the same advice he wishes he could give to his younger self: seek treatment and prioritize yourself.

“Anyone out there who is looking for help: get it,” he said. “Step away from work, from anything that you need to. Go to the VA and you will thank me for it.”

Each year, the PTSD Clinic at VASLCHCS serves around 1,000 Veterans from every generation who are seeking healing from trauma. Whether the wounds are recent or decades old, it’s never too late to begin the journey toward peace.  

While "22 a day," is a commonly cited statistic, VA's 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report found that the number of Veterans who died by suicide in 2023 was around 17 per day. While this number is still far too high, VA is committed to eliminating Veteran suicide. 

For more information or to get connected with mental health services, talk to your primary care team or visit https://www.va.gov/salt-lake-city-health-care/health-services/mental-he…