TAMPA, Fla — Florida is home to about 1.5 million veterans, many of whom live right here in Tampa Bay. This week they, along with the rest of us, are watching images of what’s taking place in Afghanistan.
But for those who’ve served and sacrificed, the images can be especially hard to see, which is why the Department of Veterans Affairs is now reaching out to millions of U.S. veterans letting them know resources are available.
That includes help just a phone call away here in Tampa Bay.
“We recognize that this is an incredibly difficult time,” said Clara Reynolds, the president of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.
Reynolds wants people to know they’re here. Ready to listen — and help.
“I mean let’s face it, the things that we are seeing on TV, hearing over and over again is bound to having an incredible reaction for our veterans,” she said.
Coinciding with those images, the National Veterans’ Crisis Hotline has seen a measurable increase in calls: up 4% Saturday and 9% this past Sunday.
The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, which handles calls for the Florida veterans support line, expects to see the same in days ahead.
“We are prepared for it,” Reynolds said. “We believe we will start to see a bigger spike next week.”
On Monday, the Department of Veterans Affairs sent a newsletter to more than 9 million vets letting them know resources are available. Some include peer groups of Vietnam veterans who’ve asked themselves similar questions about what was sacrificed and what was lost.
“If you say it was all for nothing, then you are discounting all of the people that gave their lives doing their job,” Air Force veteran Larry Nosker said. “And they did their job. And they gave up for it.”
“You gave everything you could to this mission, but what’s happening right now is really outside of you,” Reynolds added. “So, it’s OK to take a break.”
The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay says its veteran’s lines are answered by other veterans who can validate feelings, empathize and often relate.
“It is OK to be feeling what you’re feeling right now,” Reynolds said. “In fact, we would expect for you to have a whole variety of feelings and emotions. It’s just really important to talk about those.”
The Crisis Center recommends tuning out the news if you’re feeling more agitated by it than educated. Exercise, eat right and get plenty of sleep. And try doing something like volunteering or a favorite activity that brings you peace or happiness in what they know is a trying time.
“These feelings will not go away if they are not expressed,” Reynolds said. “You can’t pack them in a box, you can’t put them under your bed, you have to experience them, and you have to voice them. And whatever those feelings are, anger, betrayal, sadness, whatever those feelings are, they are your feelings, and they are important, and they are real, and they are genuine.”
The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay can be reached by calling 211 or 844-MY-FL-VET. They’re available 24/7 – ready to help veterans and their families.
