When Dean Murray, an Army and National Guard veteran, walks into a restaurant, he immediately scans the room, looking at people's profiles and looking for potential dangers.
After confirming that there is no immediate threat, try to find the back door of the restaurant, which could be an entry point for a dangerous person or an escape route in case of trouble. Murray always tries to sit at a table facing the front door so he can keep an eye on everything in the room while he eats.
Murray served in the Army National Guard for 28 years, becoming one of more than 78,000 veterans living in Montana. Veterans make up nearly 9% of the state's adult population, according to a biennial report released in 2022 by the Montana Department of Veterans Affairs.
Some veterans like Murray, 44, are so used to being in constant danger that staying one step ahead of potential threats is hardwired for them, and it remains so even after veterans retire. That's what I continue to do.
“The biggest thing I still have is anxiety, stress and hypervigilance,” Murray said.
Murray lives in Billings, where she has relatively easy access to a small number of mental health resources. But veterans across Montana struggle to connect and don't always take advantage of the care that's available.
struggling with self-help efforts
Rick Williamson, a 69-year-old Army veteran, said he didn't realize he was struggling with his mental health when he left the Army. When he finally realized that he was suffering, he didn't know what to do. He said there is a stigma that considers asking veterans for help a sign of weakness.
“A lot of us keep it to ourselves. We say it's nothing, there's no problem, it's all because of prejudice,” Williamson said.
So rather than reaching out to someone else, veterans often find their own outlets to cope. For Williamson, that outlet was alcohol. He said Mr Williamson had been drinking “strong and strong” alcohol during his time on duty to try to process his experiences.
“While I was drinking, I kept everything to myself. It wasn't until I stopped drinking that I realized I had a mental problem,” Williamson said. said.
He started thinking about suicide.
“What scared me in the light of day was the thought of suicide. That's when I decided, 'Okay, I've got to do something about this,'” Williamson said. .
In 2019, 53 Montana veterans died by suicide, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This number is significantly higher than both the national suicide rate for veterans and the general population, according to the report.
Prior to discharge, veterans are encouraged to undergo an examination to check for physical and mental injuries, which may help the veteran understand the benefits and recommended medical options. there is.
Connect through the Department of Veterans Affairs
The VA serves Montana's veterans and connects them to health care. Eric Kahira, a case manager in the Missoula office, agreed that there aren't enough resources for Montana veterans to get the mental health help they need. But the Veterans Administration is doing everything it can, he said.
The VA: Health and Benefits app allows veterans to securely access and manage their VA benefits and services. The department promotes community events such as VetsGiving and encourages veterans to join organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Veterans Association.
But veterans across Montana have different views on veterans. For Murray, the Billings office was a big help because he could get treatment right away. However, he acknowledged that there are some problems with the system.
“They haven't assembled the best qualified doctors. It's been a year now, I think they've changed doctors twice, and I've never met either one,” Murray said. .
Kahira acknowledged that the Veterans Administration is understaffed and sometimes struggles to meet urgent needs.
“When someone is in a serious mental health crisis, things can get chaotic, and the Veterans Administration is going to make sure that person gets medical attention,” Kahira said.
That means veterans who are not in immediate crisis will have to wait longer to see a health care provider. In these cases, the Veterans Administration will encourage you to use other programs until you receive services.
One of those programs is the Community Care Network. This initiative allows veterans to access other nearby health care providers when VA cannot provide the care they need.
To qualify for this program, veterans must meet certain eligibility requirements, such as having needs that cannot be met by their local VA or living within a certain distance from VA services.
Mr Williamson received support through the Community Care Network but continued to struggle with his mental health. There he came across a program called Canine Companions. After going through the tedious process of adopting a trained service dog, he began to regain his hope.
“A month before I met the dog, I had almost given up. I had even contemplated suicide and had already made plans on how I would do it,” Williamson said.
Waimea, a Labrador retriever, had her paws resting on Williamson's lap as she sat at her desk in her home. Since getting her girlfriend, Williamson said her nightmares have started to diminish and her anxiety and depression have become less of a problem.
“I was probably having nightmares on average two to three times a week. Now I might be able to eat once a month,” Williamson said.
ask for help
Most veterans in Montana agree that despite the state's best efforts, there aren't enough mental health resources.
Williamson said reaching out for help was the most beneficial thing for her. Williamson encourages other veterans to reach out to someone if they are struggling, despite the lack of resources available across Montana.
“Swallow your pride and ignore your prejudices, because asking for help is not weakness,” Williamson says. “It actually takes a lot of courage to realize and admit that you have a problem. And it takes a lot of courage to realize that you can't do it alone.”
