#Middlebury #Vets
We’ve been in a stressful period for many long months, and now here come the holidays. It’s going to be different this year: fewer (or no) family get-togethers, no parties, little shopping at stores … in other words, a potentially lonely time for many veterans who are sad or anxious or who have PTSD.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has done a randomized evaluation of its Caring Letters Program to test the effects of sending a written letter every month to veterans who have called the Veteran Crisis Line. One result was that when asked, 85% of psychiatric patient veterans agreed or strongly agreed that they would like to receive caring communication through the mail, and the period of time was monthly for one year. (This rated higher than receiving email or text messages.)
Granted, given the setting, most of them said that contact with a mental health counselor or physician was preferred, but I expect that a message from a friend or acquaintance or another veteran would likely be just as welcome. At this point, the Veteran Crisis Line has sent letters to 90,000 veterans over the past year.
What can you do? You can reach out to a veteran you suspect might be struggling, whether it’s with suicidal thoughts or just loneliness. Monthly cards or letters in the mail to say hello are small things that can be huge to receive when someone is alone and struggling. Keep the communication brief, but caring.
If you honestly don’t know any veterans who might be struggling right now, make a call to the chaplain of your local American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars and ask if there’s anyone they’re worried about. If you’re going to do this, make a commitment to yourself right now that you’ll do this monthly for a minimum of one year. The impact of your effort might be greater than you’ll ever know.
© 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
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