Veterans Mental Health - In Honor of Veterans Day
By: Lucy Preysz, Communications & Policy Coordinator
On September 10th, NAMI Dane County had the opportunity to attend the Veterans Mental Health Summit hosted by the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital. At the Summit, we shared information on the free resources and programs that NAMI offers, and learned from veterans and mental health professionals on their experiences re-integrating into civilian life and how their lives have been impacted by mental illness.
NAMI Dane County would like to take this opportunity to recognize the veterans in our community. As we honor veterans on Veterans Day (November 11th), it's important that we recognize the experiences and challenges that veterans face when returning to civilian life. Here are some of the key takeaways on this topic from the Veterans Mental Health Summit.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness: “One in every four active duty members of the United States military exhibit symptoms of mental illness. The lifetime prevalence of depression and PTSD are five and fifteen times higher respectively when comparing veterans to civilians.”
Oftentimes when veterans return home, their lives and families have changed after being away from civilian life. Veterans often miss the structure of military life, and when they return home and don’t have the same structure, they don’t feel the same sense of purpose as a civilian as they did when they were serving. Veterans also may feel that they don’t have a community that understands their experiences and challenges, resulting in a feeling of isolation.
For veterans who were in combat or similarly stressful situations, it’s possible some of the habits that helped them stay strong during traumatic events have the opposite effect in civilian life, leading veterans to avoid getting treatment for mental health conditions.
NAMI states: “Seeking wellness does not mean that you are weak or a coward. It means that you are being self-reliant, demonstrating leadership and completing the mission by coming home and making yourself whole.”
If you are a veteran or a family member of a veteran experiencing a mental health condition, please know that you are not alone, and help is available. If you are in crisis, please call 911, go to your nearest emergency room or call the Veterans Crisis Line, available 24/7 at 1 (800) 273-8255 (Spanish/Español 1 (888) 628-9454).Veterans press “1” after you call. You can also chat live online with a crisis counselor 24/7 by visiting www.veteranscrisisline.net.
If you are not in crisis, we encourage you to find information, gain insight and get support by visiting www.namidanecounty.org and connecting to our Education, Training and Peer Support Programs.