September marked Suicide Awareness Month, an important and somber reminder of the stakes we are up against in the veteran community. Veterans are at a 72% higher risk of suicide than their civilian counterparts, according to nonprofit Stop Soldier Suicide. This risk represents the isolation, loneliness, and loss of identity that many veterans face in their post-military lives, and how these factors negatively impact mental health.
Our motto at Bastion is, “Community as the intervention.” This means that through our intentional community model, we recognize that the most powerful resource our veterans have is each other. Bastion aims to decrease suicide risk factors like isolation through this community-based approach, creating an environment where neighboring veterans can build supportive networks amongst each other.
These supportive networks increase protective factors against suicide, like a person’s sense of community, belonging, and connection. “Protective factors” in the fight against suicide are essentially the opposite of risk factors: these are things like social connectedness and sense of purpose that protect people against feelings of isolation, hopelessness, or being a burden to others. The relationships built between veterans in our community allow them to explore new identities and interests, develop new friendships, and become more independent in their day to day lives.
The impact of the supportive networks that make up our intentional community is bolstered by Bastion’s wellness programming. Our dedicated staff provides veterans with educational, engaging, and evidence-based interventions free of cost. We offer resources that address the body, the mind, and the connection between them. Veterans at Bastion have access to traditional options like yoga and one-to-one talk therapy, and they also have access to a world of less traditional (and typically less accessible) interventions like acupuncture, mind-body skills groups, wellness education sessions, EMDR, TRE classes (tension/trauma releasing exercises), and so much more. All of these resources act as protective factors against suicide by promoting physical and mental wellness, encouraging dialogue about mental health, and providing tools and strategies to become more resilient and functionally independent.
Bastion’s community-based approach to veteran wellness and suicide protection can be applied to anyone: we all need meaningful relationships, a supportive network, and a sense of belonging and purpose to be happy and healthy. The best thing you can do to protect those around you is to be that example of connection and belonging. Reach out to your friends, let them know they are not alone, and don’t be afraid to start a dialogue about mental health and suicide protection. Asking for help is hard, and by letting someone know you’re there for them, you may be the difference between them opening up and asking for support or continuing to suffer alone.