My Favorite Bit of Information From The Week:
Happy (slightly belated) Veterans Day!This week is dedicated to all the Veterans out there and their loved ones. I hope you all had a supportive and beautiful Veterans Day.
It’s no secret – and yet we rarely talk about it – that our Veterans suffer from mental health struggles more than the majority of the population (and the majority of the population suffers a lot). P.T.S.D (post traumatic stress disorder), depression, and suicide rates are all much higher for those who have served and returned back to society. “Women with prior military service are more than twice as likely to die by suicide as their civilian peers, according to the report. Male veterans are 1.3 times as likely to die by suicide as men who never served.” It is believed that 87 Americans die each day by suicide (those are just the reported cases) and many go unreported. For more information on how the suicide rates of Veterans are going up, you can check out this article from Military Times. It also has links to the 2019 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report.
Support for Veterans: Check out the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s special support page for Veterans. It is available 24/7 so support all veterans and those who love them. The Contact Information is as follows:
- Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1
- Text 838255
- Support for deaf and hard of hearing is 1-800-799-4889
- You can also chat online.
For easy click access to all of the above go to the official website.
A Theory: The prominent theory (which you’ve probably heard) as to why folks experience prolonged P.T.S.D after combat is because it was such a horrific and intense experience. However, Sebastian Junger poses another theory (a theory that has re-shaped how I consider trauma, P.T.S.D, and the high suicide rates in our country as a whole). In very simple terms, he poses the hypothesis that maybe it’s not the trauma that veterans leave with that makes them struggle with mental health issues, but instead, it’s the society they are returning back to. We all need to feel known and understood, and living with a group of people that you share everything with, and with whom you entrust your life could be hard to lose. Only a small percentage of veterans experience physical combat, and yet nearly half will request mental health support after returning home. I am not a Veteran, so I can’t presume to know what it feels like to see combat, but Sebastian has, and his book and Ted Talk are amazing if you are interested in learning further. You can also check out my previous post on the topic, which includes a link to yoga for P.T.S.D online.
More Yoga:Metro Yoga Chicago is offering half off for a month of Yoga to all Veterans, which means it’s only $35 for unlimited classes this month. If you, or someone you know, are looking for a safe and supportive space in Chicago to try some Yoga, this is a lovely option. I teach every Saturday morning, with both an all-levels option and a beginners option. If you have questions about the classes or opportunity let me know. All you need to do is bring your ID to class and ask about the promotion.
Veterans Yoga Project: This project’s mission is to provide free and accessible healing yoga for veterans and their families. I have not practiced with them personally, but they seem amazing and they offer courses in all the states that One Woman Hamlet has readership! Check them out for a free class, if you are interested. You can also check out why Yoga can be helpful to heal a mind and body connection in my previous post.
Learn More to Be There For Veterans, Or Yourself: Please check out Mind’s page on P.T.S.D, and Depression. If you are curious as to how to talk to someone that is struggling check out Hope For The Day’s “How to Be Supportive” . Education and empathy are the most powerful tools to quelling the high rates of suicide in our culture.
Update On My Show:
This Past Week: Met with Hope For The Day. Working hard on applying for grants and creating the official rehearsal schedule! Phew! Busy week.
Ways to Support: Want to support the show? Please check out our Gofundme. Thank you so much to all who have already donated! Truly, this show would not exist without you.