USAG Redstone Arsenal is committed to preventing suicide among Service members, veterans, DoD civilians, and their families. September’s Suicide Prevention Month (SPM) brings added attention to the complex issue of suicide and the available resources and supports.
In these challenging times during the COVID-19 pandemic, our relationships have taken on a new level of meaning and importance. As more people are experiencing isolation, limited sports/fitness activities, and other known risk factors of suicide, reaching out and building connections is a useful and needed way to be there for your community members.
This year, the DoD’s SPM theme, Connect to Protect: Support is Within Reach, highlights the important role that connections to family, friends, the community, and resources can play in preventing suicide. The Army’s supporting theme is “It’s the Everyday, Little Things That Matter,” focuses on the everyday interactions that build strong relationships and act as a protective factors to increase our ability to manage life stressors.
Research indicates that connectedness is a factor that can reduce the risk of suicide. Reaching out is not about admitting you are struggling, but about strengthening your resilience by developing healthy relationships and encouraging and practicing help-seeking behaviors through daily interactions. Having social connections and relationships that you can count on and a sense of belonging can be protection against some of the potential risk factors for suicide, like loneliness.
As we head into September, it is important for each of us to focus on connecting to protect the Service members and military families in our lives. We have a moral duty to protect each other—now more than ever.
Every Soldier, Civilian, and Family member can play a part in suicide prevention by understanding the signs and symptoms of at-risk behavior and connecting those in distress with those who can help.
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Service members and veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a Service member or veteran in crisis, can call the Veterans/Military Crisis Line for confidential support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, text to 838255 or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.
If you are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide in Northern Alabama, you can call Crisis Services of North Alabama HELPline at 256-716-1000 or 800-691-8426. You can also call the National Suicide Lifeline: 800-273-8255.