By: Janet A. Aker, MHS Communications
[Editor’s note: This article deals with mental health issues and resources that may help. If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis, call 988 for the Military and Veteran Crisis Line goes to Military and Veterans Crisis Line and press “1”, or text 838255, or chat with a live counselor goes to Military and Veteran Crisis Line. Para Español, apretar “2”. Civilians can also call 988 to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Line goes to 988.]
Dear Doc,
I’m feeling pretty low and very stressed out. A good friend recently died by suicide, and no one saw it coming. I’ve been thinking about him a lot. On top of that, I feel guilty for uprooting my young family when we recently PCS’ed across the country. Also, I’m anxious about how I’m fitting in at my new assignment, and the world news both weighs me down and makes me angry. It’s like I’m stuck in a deep, dark hole. How can I feel better?
Feeling hopeless,
U.S. Air Force Airman I.M. Blue
——————
Airman Blue,
It sounds like you are overwhelmed and recognize the negative impact on your mental health. These turbulent days affect each of us differently. Moving your family is a huge life stressor by itself, not to mention all the other changes. How we respond to major changes and uncertainty about the future is important.
I’ve found an expert who describes several coping strategies that you may find helpful. These strategies can boost your readiness to take on a new assignment, and help you rebound from your dark moods and hopelessness. U.S. Public Health Service Capt. Meghan Corso holds a doctorate in psychology and is chief of behavioral health clinical operations at the Defense Health Agency. Here’s what she suggested.
First, it’s important to keep telling yourself you’re not alone, and things won’t always be this bad. Whatever you’re going through, it’s important to remember you will get to the other side. Be patient.
Change takes time.
However, if you feel you’re about to reach a crisis point, call 988 for the Military and Veteran Crisis Line goes to Military and Veterans Crisis Line and press “1,” or text 838255, or chat with a live counselor goes to chat. (Para Español, apretar “2.”)
Second, suicide’s impact ripples, touching many people. Postvention strategies may help get you in touch with your feelings about your friend as well as the pain you are going through. Another helpful resource is the nonprofit Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. Its “10 Things We Know to be True: Surviving Suicide Loss” offers good perspective.
As for tips on defending your mental health, I have collected a number of techniques and practices. These can be grouped into three buckets I call “Protect, Seek, and Optimize.”
Protect
Practice just a few of these habits a day to build and maintain a strong psychological foundation and help protect against stress and negative, depressing thoughts.
- Exercise not only improves your physical health, but it also is a good way to get “feel good” hormones such as serotonin flooding your brain. This may help reduce the cumulative impacts of stress to your brain and body.
- Balanced nutrition from your diet directly affects the growth and repair of brain cells and fuels your ability to cope with physical and emotional stressors.
- Quality sleep is healing and restorative. It enhances your cognitive and physical health and your ability to manage stress. Here are some tips for better quality sleep.
- Relaxation and meditation practices such as yoga and controlled breathing on a daily basis help promote a state of relaxation, enhance your sense of well-being, and can enhance physical and mental health for stress management.
- Setting goals helps to reduce stress hormones such as cortisol and increases a sense of control and accomplishment.
- Break your big goal down into chunks so they are realistic and obtainable. Start small. Success at the beginning can fuel further success. A small goal could be something such as, “I’m going to connect with my family by having family meals once a week.”
- Positive perspective provides hope and helps us to keep moving forward. Try to reframe one or two things from your day with a positive approach. You can also make a choice to be positive for the day. It may not actually happen all the time but keep making this choice; it may become habit.
- Social connections help to reduce stress, increase your sense of well-being and positive experiences. Reach out to a friend, catch up with former colleagues, or join a sports league.
Seek Help Early
Mental health resources can be used to manage and improve everyday life, and they don’t always involve a therapist or treatments. Seeking care early can help address mental health challenges before they worsen and prevent a crisis. These resources include:
- Chaplains, peer-to-peer counseling, substance misuse programs goes to Military OneSource, and many other non-clinical and clinical programs are available across the Military Health System. The Mental Health Hub on health.mil has a complete list of resources for immediate assistance or to make appointments.
- Military OneSource goes to Military OneSource is a 24/7 gateway to trusted information for service members and their families that provides resources and confidential help. Call 800-342-9667. Military OneSource also has a searchable database of local morale, welfare, and recreation resources goes to Military OneSource.
- The Real Warriors Campaign is a public health effort to decrease stigma attached to mental health, increase psychological health literacy, and open doors to get care for service members, veterans, and their families. The campaign was expanded in 2023 with a collaboration between the DHA’s Psychological Health Center of Excellence and the Department of Defense Suicide Prevention Office goes to DSPO. The campaign also provides free mental health resources including online articles, print materials, and videos.
Optimize
- Practice mindfulness daily. By trying to stay in the moment, you may improve your ability to pay attention and concentrate and help reduce the accumulation of stress hormones in your body.
- Keep a journal. By expressing your thoughts and creativity (think doodling) on paper or a computer may help you organize and process potential negative experiences and create mental distance from harmful or intrusive thoughts and actions.
- Set aside a time each day to journal about what you are feeling and hope to achieve. Writing it all down and then physically putting the day’s entry aside can help you to push the negative thoughts away.
- Be aware of your thoughts and practice alternatives to negative thinking, which includes repetitive thinking about things you have no control over, jumping to conclusions, and discounting positive experiences.
#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
Link for 40 Habits Signup
bit.ly/40HabitsofMentalHealthIf you’d like to follow and receive my daily blog in to your inbox, just click on it with Follow It. Here’s the link https://follow.it/james-donaldson-s-standing-above-the-crowd-s-blog-a-view-from-above-on-things-that-make-the-world-go-round?action=followPub
- Practice gratitude and identify the positive aspects to be found in a negative situation, such as it being the opportunity to learn more about yourself, learn something new, or help someone else.
- Find daily meaning and value in yourself and what you do. Identify high-value and long-term goals and hopes you can strive toward, which gives you a sense of the larger world. This process alone may enhance your cognitive performance, overall happiness, and improve your physical health.
- Engage in activities or hobbies that are positive. These can reward you daily and keep you engaged in your environment in a way that potentially changes how you feel. Naturally rewarding activities such as giving back to the community, being physically active, or connecting with others can help to combat stress and improve your mood.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
