Show Veterans They Matter-September is Suicide Prevention Month

September is suicide prevention month. Join us in encouraging veterans and their loved ones to focus on the things that give life meaning-the things that matter.

Family matters. Friendship matters. Support matters. Every Veteran matters.

The loved ones, relationships, and experiences that matter to Veterans can motivate them to seek support during times of crisis and inspire their families and friends to help.

Whether Veterans have just returned home or completed service years ago, their experiences remain with them. Their wounds might not be visible, but they still need attention. We can all support Veterans who are dealing with challenges. We’re in this together.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) urges groups and individuals nationwide to stay alert for signs of suicide risk in the Veterans in their lives. If you’re concerned about a Veteran you know, lending a hand and showing you care doesn’t have to be difficult. Just talking about what a Veteran is feeling and experiencing opens the door to finding support. The Veterans Crisis Line can help.

The Veterans Crisis Line is a free, confidential resource that Veterans and their families and friends can access any day, anytime. Trained professionals at the Veterans Crisis Line—many of them Veterans themselves—are ready to listen, providing free, confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Since launching in 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line has answered more than 890,000 calls and made 32,500 lifesaving rescues.

VA counts on grassroots networks and community organizations to spread the word that support is just a call, click, or text away. It’s up to all of us to get educated and take action to help Veterans access the care they deserve—and have earned. One small act can make the difference.

The first step in preventing suicide is understanding the warning signs. People may show signs of risk long before considering harming themselves.

Warning signs include:

• Hopelessness, feeling like there’s no way out
• Anxiety, agitation, sleeplessness, or mood swings
• Feeling like there’s no reason to live
• Rage or anger
• Engaging in risky activities without thinking
• Increasing alcohol or drug abuse
• Withdrawing from family and friends

The presence of the following signs requires immediate attention:

• Thinking about hurting or killing yourself
• Looking for ways to kill yourself
• Talking about death, dying or suicide
• Self-destructive behavior such as drug abuse, weapons, etc.

If you notice these warning signs, tell a Veteran about the Veterans Crisis Line, or make the call yourself. Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or text to 838255 for free, confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Get the conversation started today. Visit the Veterans Crisis Line resources page to download free Veterans Crisis Line materials, including flyers to print and distribute, and digital ads and videos to display on your website. Learn how you and your community can work together to prevent suicide.

You have the power to listen. You have the tools to support. You can show you care. It Matters.

Countless Veterans have taken that first step to find support with the help of people like you, whose encouragement made all the difference. “The road is hard,” says U.S. Army Vietnam War Veteran Ovie Longhorn. “But there’s help out there. All you have to do is ask.”

Visit VeteransCrisisLine.net to learn more.