September is Suicide Prevention month, and the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) empowers communities to take action to support our nation's veterans. Each community across the country plays a collective role in doing so, but as an individual, you might not know what to do or where to start.
You don't need special training to support the veterans in your life who are going through a difficult time. Even seemingly small actions can have a huge impact: preventing suicide begins with just the willingness to be there.
Showing your support can be as simple as sending a text message, inviting a veteran over to catch up, or sharing a positive thought. All are great ways to communicate that you care. Your words could be exactly what a veteran in crisis needs to hear. They could remind someone that many people out there are willing to listen.
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When you sense that a veteran is not doing well, your words can help. You can make a difference by just starting a conversation.
Although it can seem challenging, it is important to talk about difficult feelings and experiences. Keep in mind: asking questions about thoughts of suicide does not increase a person's suicide risk. Feeling connected, on the other hand, is shown to reduce suicide risk. An open conversation can help someone feel less alone and let others into the veteran's experience.
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Suicide prevention is the VA's highest priority. Every death by suicide is a tragedy, and we will not relent in our efforts to connect veterans who are experiencing an emotional or mental-health crisis with life-saving support.
If you believe a veteran in your life might be contemplating suicide, call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and press 1. You can send a text message to 838255, or chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net.
Qualified and compassionate VA responders are on call around the clock to provide guidance on how to connect veterans with support and help keep them from harm.
Suicide is preventable. We aim to reduce suicide and suicidal behavior among all veterans - even those who do not - and who might never - seek care within our system.