If you feel like you are always on, you are not alone. Your mind keeps scanning for problems, and even when you are sitting on your own couch, your body is braced for the next thing. For many veterans transitioning back to civilian life, this hyper-awareness is a familiar, exhausting companion. You try to take a night off or enjoy a vacation day, but you still feel wired.
When your nervous system senses danger, it shifts into a high-alert state to protect you. In a combat zone or during a high-stakes deployment, that physiological response keeps you and your unit alive. But when you return home, if you have lived through a lot of stress, loss, or trauma, your body can easily get stuck in that protect mode.
We want you to know that there are very human, biological reasons for this pattern. The encouraging part is simple: Once you understand what keeps that “never relax” feeling in place, there are practical, culturally competent steps that can help you find peace.
The Transition: A New Kind of Mission
Transitioning from military service to civilian life is a massive undertaking. More than 200,000 service members in the United States face the challenge of reintegrating into civilian life each year. It is, apart from deciding to join the service, one of the biggest and most daunting decisions you will make.
Civilian life is not structured in the same way, the rules are different, and it can sometimes feel like your years of rigorous training and experience do not translate. Recent studies indicate that ensuring a smooth transition from military service to civilian life is incredibly important for a veteran’s long-term mental health. Veterans who experience better transitions are often less vulnerable to poor mental health outcomes, such as depression and anxiety, when faced with stressors down the road.
If you are struggling right now, we want to remind you of one vital truth: You are the hero of this story. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness; it is a tactical, courageous decision to protect your future, your health, and your family.
Overcoming the Unique Barriers to Care
We understand that veterans face unique barriers when seeking behavioral health care. The traditional medical system can sometimes feel alienating. It is difficult to open up to a civilian provider who may not understand the specific nuances of military culture, the weight of a deployment, or the jargon that defined your life for years.
Virginia has the 8th largest veteran population in the Nation, with approximately 715,000 veteran citizens. Yet, across the United States, 70% of veterans utilize community settings for health and behavioral healthcare rather than VA facilities, or they go without care entirely. When care is not culturally competent—meaning the provider does not understand military life—veterans are less likely to stay engaged in treatment.
Region Five’s Service Member, Veterans, and Family (SMVF) Program
You deserve a soft place to land during and after your separation process. Region Five’s Service Member, Veterans, and Family (SMVF) program was designed specifically to bridge the gap between military service and civilian behavioral health care.
Our goal is to ensure that you receive behavioral health and supportive services that are high-quality, evidence-based, trauma-informed, and culturally competent. Here is how the SMVF program supports you:
- Peer Support: In the service, you have a ready-made community, but on the outside, you may feel alone and lost. Our Peer Support program connects you with a team of trained veterans who have similar lived experiences related to mental health. You are not alone.
- Transition Support: Transition is easier when you start early. Even if you are over a year out from separation, our team can help you prepare for the emotional and logistical shifts ahead.
- Vocational Specialist & Job Coaching: Finding a new job and understanding the civilian workforce is one of the biggest struggles for veterans. We connect you with services that foster job readiness and assist with resume writing, interviewing, and skill development.
- Case Management: We provide direct referrals for healthcare, financial planning, transportation, housing counseling, and legal services to ensure your foundational needs are met.
The Importance of Safe Storage: Lock and Talk Virginia
When a mental health crisis hits, having access to lethal means can turn a fleeting thought into a tragedy. Suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2017. Region Five is proud to participate in the Lock and Talk program, a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention.
Lock and Talk is intended to prevent suicides by limiting access to firearms, medications, and other potentially dangerous items during a mental health crisis. It provides the community with education on recognizing warning signs and offers free security measures, like gun and medication locks, to create crucial time and distance between a person in distress and lethal means.
Find Healing in Your Local Community
Hampton Roads is supported by a robust network of brick-and-mortar clinics ready to serve you. Because these are community-based services, you can find help close to home through:
- Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Health (CIBH)
- Colonial Behavioral Health
- Eastern Shore Community Services Board
- Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board
- Middle Peninsula-Northern Neck Community Services Board
- Norfolk Community Services Board
- Portsmouth Behavioral Health
- Virginia Beach Community Services Board
- Western Tidewater Community Services Board
Click here to find your Community Services Board.
Help Starts Here – Hope Starts Now
You survived your service; now it is time to thrive in your civilian life. With the right tools and the right support, your nervous system can learn to stand down.
If you or a veteran you love needs support, the Region Five SMVF team is dedicated to serving your needs. Our team members are made up of veterans from all military branches, so there will always be someone who understands your struggles.
Ready to take the next step? Visit our Service Member, Veterans, and Family Support page to learn more and get connected to a local navigator today. If you are experiencing a crisis, the Region Five Crisis Line is available 24/7 at 757-656-7755, or you can dial the Veterans Crisis Line at 988, Press 1.
