Real Talk: Mental Health By Jolene Balancio, Clinic Director The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics at VVSD www.vvsd.net/cohenclinics
Mind the Gap Life involves many significant transitional periods, such as those familiar to us this time of year, a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) to a new community. Or there could be more abrupt periods of change such as sudden job loss. Much like these, for someone who is transitioning out of the military into the civilian world, unique challenges can arise. This particular period of time is crucial to the trajectory of an individual’s life. One day, your routine is known, the environment is familiar, and your identity as a service member is intact – then, the next day, all of that has changed. There is no more putting on the uniform, camaraderie amongst
fellow service members is lost, support can feel scarce, and it appears as if no one understands what you are going through. Ruminating thoughts can start to occur: “What happens next?”... “Who am I, if I’m no longer in the service?”...“How will I provide for myself and family?” and it goes on and on. The separation from military service can be challenging. The transition can bring overwhelming feelings of uncertainty and hopelessness, a sense of being lost or displaced, and even lead one to question their own existence. In fact, the year after leaving military service has been called the “Deadly Gap,” a period in which the veteran suicide rate is 2.5 times the rate among active duty military personnel.
www.cohenveteransnetwork.org/suicideprevention
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WWW.HomelandMagazine.com / September 2024