Suicide Prevention & Awareness - Some Thoughts..

Today, I spent some time reading and thinking about the statistics related to suicide deaths of veterans. The more I read, the more I started to feel the weight of the impact suicide has not only the veteran, but the spouses, children, and community as a whole. 

So what can we do about it? While none of us are likely professional counselors, I believe there are still some things we can do. 

Here are a few ideas I have come across in my reading that we as a detachment can do to help create an environment of prevention and equip each other should the situation arise for us to take action:

1. Build a caring community and supportive environment within our detachment. We have a unique opportunity in this detachment to connect, develop friendships, and get involved in each other's lives in such a way that if one of us is starting to show signs of distress, we can step in as a support. None of us are experts here, rather we are more like one broken friend looking out for another. 

2. Address stigma and other barriers to getting care. Just by talking about suicide in our detachment meetings, while it is uncomfortable, we can open the door for someone to ask for help. If there is any place where a veteran should feel comfortable relaying their feelings, it should be here with one of us. We in this organization are here to take care of each other and to help bear each other’s burdens. 

3. Educate each other about how to recognize signs of someone contemplating suicide and what do when this occurs. Continuing to discuss relevant training as to how we can support our friends in distress, e.g., the RACE Method (recognize signs of distress, ask questions, show you care, and expedite to proper help). We cannot always plan when we will face a situation like this but with a little training we can stand equipped to help get our friend into a better situation.