1 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:06,540 Yeah . Yeah . Yeah . 2 00:00:16,140 --> 00:00:18,900 Mhm . Each of us experiences ups and 3 00:00:18,900 --> 00:00:22,450 downs throughout our lifetime . Mhm . 4 00:00:23,740 --> 00:00:25,407 Sometimes it feels like we're 5 00:00:25,407 --> 00:00:29,210 surrounded . We may talk about 6 00:00:29,210 --> 00:00:31,377 those things more on social media than 7 00:00:31,377 --> 00:00:32,710 we do in person . Mhm . 8 00:00:36,540 --> 00:00:38,570 I think today's service members use 9 00:00:38,570 --> 00:00:40,681 social media as a way to stay engaged 10 00:00:40,681 --> 00:00:42,626 and connected . Whether they're if 11 00:00:42,626 --> 00:00:44,570 they're not on post or they're out 12 00:00:44,570 --> 00:00:46,514 there in the National Guard , have 13 00:00:46,514 --> 00:00:48,514 retired or otherwise left service , 14 00:00:48,514 --> 00:00:50,403 they're able to stay connected to 15 00:00:50,403 --> 00:00:52,403 people that share their interests , 16 00:00:52,403 --> 00:00:54,626 their experience and have a way to just 17 00:00:54,626 --> 00:00:57,910 engage and connect . Sometimes life 18 00:00:57,910 --> 00:01:00,021 there's more to us than we can handle 19 00:01:00,021 --> 00:01:03,190 on our own life changing events such as 20 00:01:03,190 --> 00:01:06,280 breakup or unpaid bills piled one on 21 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:08,210 top of another . Could create a 22 00:01:08,210 --> 00:01:10,590 downward spiral . Maybe even lead to 23 00:01:10,590 --> 00:01:13,730 suicidal ideation . So how do we know 24 00:01:13,740 --> 00:01:15,796 when to reach out to our friends who 25 00:01:15,796 --> 00:01:17,907 seem to be going through a tough time 26 00:01:17,907 --> 00:01:20,430 based on what they post online . All of 27 00:01:20,430 --> 00:01:22,652 us cope with stress in different ways . 28 00:01:22,740 --> 00:01:25,070 So we start by understanding what's 29 00:01:25,070 --> 00:01:27,840 typical for a friend . What types of 30 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:29,840 things is your friend posted in the 31 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,730 past ? A lot of these posts that people 32 00:01:32,740 --> 00:01:34,990 will put up can be vague . You don't 33 00:01:34,990 --> 00:01:38,590 know whether it's a big issue or a 34 00:01:38,590 --> 00:01:40,701 small issue and then just venting off 35 00:01:40,701 --> 00:01:42,868 steam , but you're never going to know 36 00:01:42,868 --> 00:01:44,923 unless just take two minutes to send 37 00:01:44,923 --> 00:01:44,550 him a message and then you're able to 38 00:01:44,550 --> 00:01:46,606 triage based on their response . You 39 00:01:46,606 --> 00:01:48,606 have no way to tell until you start 40 00:01:48,606 --> 00:01:52,200 that conversation . I remember saying 41 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,367 to quite a few of my friends , I don't 42 00:01:54,367 --> 00:01:56,478 like this life and I don't want to be 43 00:01:56,478 --> 00:01:59,600 here . These vague , cryptic ways of 44 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,760 saying , I can't do it anymore . 45 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:05,473 No one is immune to this kind of 46 00:02:05,473 --> 00:02:07,473 struggle , that no one is immune to 47 00:02:07,473 --> 00:02:10,040 attempting to take their life . So when 48 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:12,450 someone says something like that out 49 00:02:12,450 --> 00:02:16,450 loud , take it seriously . But how 50 00:02:16,450 --> 00:02:18,561 is responding to something you see on 51 00:02:18,561 --> 00:02:20,728 social media different from responding 52 00:02:20,728 --> 00:02:23,520 to something in person . Social media 53 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,298 is no different than being in a 54 00:02:25,298 --> 00:02:27,580 physical location . If somebody , you 55 00:02:27,580 --> 00:02:30,220 know , came into the unit and had just 56 00:02:30,220 --> 00:02:32,442 a terrible expression on their face and 57 00:02:32,442 --> 00:02:34,498 you could tell something was wrong . 58 00:02:34,498 --> 00:02:36,609 You're not gonna ignore that . You're 59 00:02:36,609 --> 00:02:38,609 gonna go ask them what's going on . 60 00:02:38,609 --> 00:02:37,900 It's no different . When you're on 61 00:02:37,900 --> 00:02:40,011 social media , you see somebody posts 62 00:02:40,011 --> 00:02:42,122 something that's outside the norm for 63 00:02:42,122 --> 00:02:44,233 them or it indicates that there might 64 00:02:44,233 --> 00:02:46,344 be something going on in their life . 65 00:02:46,344 --> 00:02:48,340 Don't ignore . Take two minutes to 66 00:02:48,340 --> 00:02:50,410 reach out and say , Hey , I saw your 67 00:02:50,410 --> 00:02:52,630 post , What's going on ? It may be 68 00:02:52,630 --> 00:02:54,797 awkward or uncomfortable when reaching 69 00:02:54,797 --> 00:02:56,963 out to a friend in need . It's hard to 70 00:02:56,963 --> 00:02:59,186 know where to start . So here are a few 71 00:02:59,186 --> 00:03:02,500 pointers when you reach out , get their 72 00:03:02,500 --> 00:03:05,280 backstory , relate to what they're 73 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,160 saying , validate their feelings . 74 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:12,120 Listen , without judging and give them 75 00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:16,060 hope . But most importantly reach out , 76 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:20,030 Let's say it's a breakup . Hey man , I 77 00:03:20,030 --> 00:03:22,030 saw your post . I've been through a 78 00:03:22,030 --> 00:03:24,252 couple breakup myself . I know that can 79 00:03:24,252 --> 00:03:26,700 be pretty bad . What's going on , bon , 80 00:03:26,700 --> 00:03:28,870 hey , you know this happened that 81 00:03:28,870 --> 00:03:31,092 happened . You know , we're just having 82 00:03:31,092 --> 00:03:33,314 to call it quits . I don't know . Hey , 83 00:03:33,540 --> 00:03:35,707 everybody's been through a breakup and 84 00:03:35,707 --> 00:03:37,762 I've been through this before . It's 85 00:03:37,762 --> 00:03:39,818 rough right now but it gets better . 86 00:03:39,818 --> 00:03:41,873 You've provided them hope and you've 87 00:03:41,873 --> 00:03:44,096 got to give them a way forward and make 88 00:03:44,096 --> 00:03:46,262 sure they know they don't walk alone . 89 00:03:46,262 --> 00:03:48,484 The responsibility is on each and every 90 00:03:48,484 --> 00:03:50,596 one of us to become accountable to an 91 00:03:50,596 --> 00:03:52,762 accountable for our fellow warfighters 92 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,062 the same way as if you were in combat , 93 00:03:55,540 --> 00:03:57,651 you are responsible for the person to 94 00:03:57,651 --> 00:03:59,762 your left and your right and you look 95 00:03:59,762 --> 00:04:02,830 out for one another . So it's no 96 00:04:02,830 --> 00:04:05,120 different back home . You see somebody 97 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:07,650 in trouble . You look after them . 98 00:04:08,940 --> 00:04:11,490 You can make a difference before your 99 00:04:11,490 --> 00:04:14,150 friend is overrun , pull them to safety , 100 00:04:14,390 --> 00:04:16,010 remind your friend there are 101 00:04:16,010 --> 00:04:18,140 reinforcements ready to help and that 102 00:04:18,140 --> 00:04:20,196 we don't have to do anything alone . 103 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:22,962 Just like on the front lines , 104 00:04:22,962 --> 00:04:24,462 reinforcements are trained 105 00:04:24,462 --> 00:04:26,629 professionals who can help your friend 106 00:04:26,629 --> 00:04:28,590 build the defenses needed to work 107 00:04:28,590 --> 00:04:32,300 through tough times . How are 108 00:04:32,300 --> 00:04:34,300 you going to respond ? When you see 109 00:04:34,300 --> 00:04:35,967 someone having a tough time , 110 00:04:38,740 --> 00:04:41,280 you can make a difference . You can 111 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:43,900 affect change . It may be tiring but 112 00:04:43,900 --> 00:04:46,011 you have to know who to call , who to 113 00:04:46,011 --> 00:04:47,956 contact where to go and you can do 114 00:04:47,956 --> 00:04:51,730 these things Military 115 00:04:51,730 --> 00:04:53,897 one source in the military crisis line 116 00:04:53,897 --> 00:04:55,730 are also reinforcements that can 117 00:04:55,730 --> 00:04:57,897 support your friend . They're free and 118 00:04:57,897 --> 00:05:01,880 available 24/7 . Remember you have your 119 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,200 friends back ? Simple Things Save lives . 120 00:05:06,340 --> 00:05:09,550 Okay . Right . Mm . 121 00:05:14,340 --> 00:05:15,340 Yeah . 122 00:05:32,740 --> 00:05:33,840 Mhm . Yeah . 123 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:11,040 Yeah . 124 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:18,250 Mhm . Mhm .