For Veterans and their families, coping with the loss of a family member to suicide means a lifetime of picking up the pieces and trying to make sense of the loss of their wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, daughters or sons.
Next Chapter was created by the Colorado legislature to prevent Veteran suicide in Colorado, which had one of the highest rates in the nation. Its job is to prevent suicide through addressing the underlying causes — before Veterans reach a crisis point that leads to despair.
Families frequently are on the front lines of keeping Veterans safe and recognizing the signs of suicide is vital. All too often, suicidal ideation looks very different in Veterans than in the civilian population.
Here are some things to look for:
- Withdrawal from family, friends or service members – particularly among Veterans who value camaraderie and connection.
- Some Veterans have survivor’s guilt, common after decades of conflict. They feel guilty they survived combat, when some of their brothers and sisters in arms did not. When they start expressing guilt about their survival or they begin to say they feel like they are a burden, intervention is needed.
- Another sign is hypervigilance or behaving recklessly. When Veterans begin to behave aggressively, take more risks, or show paranoia, family members should reach out for assistance.
- Some Veterans will self-medicate with alcohol or drugs to numb PTSD or depression, but that only leads to delay in dealing with the emotions, which can then lead to suicide.
- Watch for extreme mood swings – if people move from deep despair to sudden calmness, it might indicate a decision to end their lives.
- Revisiting trauma could be another indicator. Veterans who talk more frequently about past traumatic events, combat experiences, or moral injury from war could be considering suicide.
- If a Veteran starts to give away memorabilia from time in service – their awards, uniforms, or person items – that’s a significant indicator of depression or suicidal ideation.
- Veterans frequently die by suicide in the first three months after leaving the military. They sometimes struggle to find employment, miss the camaraderie of their fellow military members, and have trouble connecting with civilians. They struggle to develop a new sense of purpose. Finding and maintaining connections is vital in the early months after leaving military service.
Every person on Next Chapter’s staff is a Veteran. They’ve experienced combat; they understand the issues surrounding transitioning from military service. They are here to help.
At Next Chapter, the goal is to address the reasons for despair by connecting Veterans to resources through their partners. They can help create new connections through military nonprofits; they can find a new sense of purpose for Veterans with job training and assistance; they can help with basic needs like rent and food insecurity. And they do it all without judgement or finding fault.
The oldest client at Next Chapter is in their 90s; the youngest is 6. Next Chapter supports the entire family; they can help Veterans’ friends, roommates, loved ones.
Don’t give into despair; there is help available. In just a single phone call, Next Chapter can provide needed services and support. Let’s make the next chapter the BEST chapter. Reach out today.