Military to Civilian Transition: How Soon Should I Start Planning?
Deciding to join the military is a big step, and so is deciding to leave. The transition from Service member to civilian can be just as difficult as the transition you experienced when you first joined. You might look back and think that you were uninformed and unprepared then – but the truth is that it’s likely that you’re unprepared now. According to one survey published on the veteran-run website military-transition.org, nearly half of respondents (48%) felt that their transition from the military was more difficult than expected.
Can I Get Off of Drugs or Alcohol by Myself – Or Is It Really That Dangerous?
There are a lot of reasons some people choose to quit using drugs or alcohol on their own, but, depending on your situation, doing so could be risky. If you have a dependence on a substance, you’ll experience withdrawal, sometimes within a few hours. Withdrawal from certain drugs can lead to dangerous symptoms including seizures, organ damage, and sometimes death.
After a Suicide in the Family: Coping With Trauma
The death of a loved one is one of the hardest things we can go through in life – and losing someone to suicide is especially painful. After the suicide of a close family member or friend, you may feel lots of different, complicated emotions. You may even be angry with the person you lost. Everyone grieves differently and that’s ok. But when grief turns into trauma, how do you cope?
2023 Shatter the Silence
Stronger Together Region 5 CSB Prevention Council and Community Partners presents the 8th Annual Shatter the Silence Suicide Awareness and Prevention Event. This year's theme is Stronger Together - We are stronger when working towards a happy and healthy society....
All Veterans with Invisible Wounds Should Receive High-Quality Care
Invisible wounds refer to the cognitive and emotional behaviors associated with trauma. This includes conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Many veterans suffer from invisible wounds years after returning home from combat. Unfortunately, many of these wounds never fully heal. Even though you can’t see them the way you can see the physical wounds a veteran might have, invisible wounds have a major impact on individuals experiencing them.
This Year More Than Ever, We Should Celebrate Pride
Because of the current political situation, you might not be in the mood to celebrate, but Pride Month is more important than ever. Fear, anger and bigotry might be sweeping the U.S., but we can’t let it stop us. LGBTQ+ individuals and allies must continue to assert the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. This Pride Month, we wanted to share some resources that can help LGBTQ+ people in Virginia (and nationwide) celebrate their pride and get help if they need it.
The Importance of PTSD and Brain Injury Awareness
Although we’ve come a long way when it comes to PTSD awareness, there are still a lot of misunderstandings about what the condition is and what can cause it. There is also a lack of awareness of the impacts of brain injuries. This PTSD Awareness Month, we want to bring attention to these two related conditions.
The Many Faces of PTSD
This article was written by the staff of the Region Five Crisis Call Center: Tim Griffin, Shelley Shelton, Casey Mewborn, and Staci Young. As we enter June, which is PTSD awareness month, let’s take a moment to discuss the many ways and forms that PTSD can present....
Making Mental Health Care Accessible For Everyone This Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM), a time dedicated to raising awareness about mental health. It’s a time that we can all come together to talk about how mental health and the stigma that still surrounds it impacts our communities, as well as how we can stay mentally healthy. It’s also the perfect time to talk about how we can make mental health care more accessible in our country and in our local communities.
How Do We Reduce the Stigma of Mental Health in 2023?
We can improve the outlook for mental health in our families, communities, and across the nation by reducing the stigma that prevails today. We can be successful at making this happen in 2023 by gaining personal knowledge, awareness, educating others, and by supporting mental health care.