Frontline Psych with Doc Bender: 24/7 Help at Veterans Crisis Line

By Dr. James Bender, DCoE psychologist

Dr. James Bender is a former Army psychologist who deployed to Iraq as the brigade psychologist for the 1st Cavalry Division 4th Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Hood, Texas. During his deployment, he traveled through Southern Iraq, from Basra to Baghdad. He writes a monthly post for the DCoE Blog on psychological health concerns related to deployment and being in the military.

Hello. A friend at work recently asked me about patient confidentiality and suicide prevention hotlines. After our discussion, and speaking with a few others, my informal poll told me chances are there may be misinformation floating around. So I reached out to Patricia Lucas, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) suicide prevention coordinator for the Washington, D.C. area, and decided to spotlight a free, confidential resource for service members and veterans in emotional crisis this month—Veterans Crisis Line.

Partnered with VA and National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the crisis line is available 24/7 by calling 800-273-TALK (8255) and pressing “1,” online chat or text message to 838255. In five years, the crisis line has fielded more than 500,000 calls and made more than 18,000 “rescues” where emergency services went to the caller’s location.

There are usually complex and varied reasons why someone may experience suicidal thoughts, but hopelessness is a common theme and a better predictor of suicide than depression. When people feel “trapped” or that their situation will never improve, it may lead them to consider suicide as the only option. It’s safe to say we probably all experience times when we’re down and not feeling ourselves, but people whose behaviors don’t seem to improve and actually worsen, may show signs that they need help. Here are some warning signs to look for: increased substance use; anxiety, agitation, sleeplessness; dramatic mood changes; rage, uncontrolled anger; and withdrawal from family, friends or society.

Who can use the crisis line?

Veterans can use the Veterans Crisis Line—you don’t have to be registered with VA—and how long you served or your discharge status doesn’t matter. Additionally, any service member, or concerned person can use this service. Here’s how it works:

1. When you call, use online chat, or send a text, it’s answered by a VA professional experienced with military-related issues and suicide prevention. They may even be a veteran. The responder starts with basic questions, like inquiring what the immediate problem is and how long the problem and poor moods have been going on. They may ask if the caller is thinking about hurting or killing themself and if so, if there’s a plan to do it. These questions may sound morbid, but they’re the most effective way to determine the best course of action.

2. If the caller is not in immediate danger, the nearest VA suicide prevention coordinator will follow-up with the caller within a day. This follow-up will require a name and phone number, so a face-to-face visit with a local health care provider can then be scheduled if the caller is receptive.

3. Because the safety of the caller is a primary concern, if the caller is at risk of suicide, a rescue is initiated to the caller’s location for immediate assessment and treatment, usually at a hospital emergency room.

Having worked with suicidal patients, I can tell you that there are many dramatic recoveries and some people literally consider themselves “reborn” after recovery from their suicidal episode. They are often scared to look back at this period in their life because they came close to making a big mistake.

It’s important for people to know that there is help available and to talk to someone before issues escalate. Stressful events can affect our health in multiple ways. It helps to maintain proper physical, emotional and psychological health in order to better deal with stressors in our lives.

Find out more about suicide prevention information and resources, and thanks for reading.