WEBVTT 00:03.240 --> 00:06.540 Yeah . Yeah . Yeah . 00:16.140 --> 00:18.900 Mhm . Each of us experiences ups and 00:18.900 --> 00:22.450 downs throughout our lifetime . Mhm . 00:23.740 --> 00:25.407 Sometimes it feels like we're 00:25.407 --> 00:29.210 surrounded . We may talk about 00:29.210 --> 00:31.377 those things more on social media than 00:31.377 --> 00:32.710 we do in person . Mhm . 00:36.540 --> 00:38.570 I think today's service members use 00:38.570 --> 00:40.681 social media as a way to stay engaged 00:40.681 --> 00:42.626 and connected . Whether they're if 00:42.626 --> 00:44.570 they're not on post or they're out 00:44.570 --> 00:46.514 there in the National Guard , have 00:46.514 --> 00:48.514 retired or otherwise left service , 00:48.514 --> 00:50.403 they're able to stay connected to 00:50.403 --> 00:52.403 people that share their interests , 00:52.403 --> 00:54.626 their experience and have a way to just 00:54.626 --> 00:57.910 engage and connect . Sometimes life 00:57.910 --> 01:00.021 there's more to us than we can handle 01:00.021 --> 01:03.190 on our own life changing events such as 01:03.190 --> 01:06.280 breakup or unpaid bills piled one on 01:06.280 --> 01:08.210 top of another . Could create a 01:08.210 --> 01:10.590 downward spiral . Maybe even lead to 01:10.590 --> 01:13.730 suicidal ideation . So how do we know 01:13.740 --> 01:15.796 when to reach out to our friends who 01:15.796 --> 01:17.907 seem to be going through a tough time 01:17.907 --> 01:20.430 based on what they post online . All of 01:20.430 --> 01:22.652 us cope with stress in different ways . 01:22.740 --> 01:25.070 So we start by understanding what's 01:25.070 --> 01:27.840 typical for a friend . What types of 01:27.840 --> 01:29.840 things is your friend posted in the 01:29.840 --> 01:32.730 past ? A lot of these posts that people 01:32.740 --> 01:34.990 will put up can be vague . You don't 01:34.990 --> 01:38.590 know whether it's a big issue or a 01:38.590 --> 01:40.701 small issue and then just venting off 01:40.701 --> 01:42.868 steam , but you're never going to know 01:42.868 --> 01:44.923 unless just take two minutes to send 01:44.923 --> 01:44.550 him a message and then you're able to 01:44.550 --> 01:46.606 triage based on their response . You 01:46.606 --> 01:48.606 have no way to tell until you start 01:48.606 --> 01:52.200 that conversation . I remember saying 01:52.200 --> 01:54.367 to quite a few of my friends , I don't 01:54.367 --> 01:56.478 like this life and I don't want to be 01:56.478 --> 01:59.600 here . These vague , cryptic ways of 01:59.600 --> 02:02.760 saying , I can't do it anymore . 02:03.640 --> 02:05.473 No one is immune to this kind of 02:05.473 --> 02:07.473 struggle , that no one is immune to 02:07.473 --> 02:10.040 attempting to take their life . So when 02:10.040 --> 02:12.450 someone says something like that out 02:12.450 --> 02:16.450 loud , take it seriously . But how 02:16.450 --> 02:18.561 is responding to something you see on 02:18.561 --> 02:20.728 social media different from responding 02:20.728 --> 02:23.520 to something in person . Social media 02:23.520 --> 02:25.298 is no different than being in a 02:25.298 --> 02:27.580 physical location . If somebody , you 02:27.580 --> 02:30.220 know , came into the unit and had just 02:30.220 --> 02:32.442 a terrible expression on their face and 02:32.442 --> 02:34.498 you could tell something was wrong . 02:34.498 --> 02:36.609 You're not gonna ignore that . You're 02:36.609 --> 02:38.609 gonna go ask them what's going on . 02:38.609 --> 02:37.900 It's no different . When you're on 02:37.900 --> 02:40.011 social media , you see somebody posts 02:40.011 --> 02:42.122 something that's outside the norm for 02:42.122 --> 02:44.233 them or it indicates that there might 02:44.233 --> 02:46.344 be something going on in their life . 02:46.344 --> 02:48.340 Don't ignore . Take two minutes to 02:48.340 --> 02:50.410 reach out and say , Hey , I saw your 02:50.410 --> 02:52.630 post , What's going on ? It may be 02:52.630 --> 02:54.797 awkward or uncomfortable when reaching 02:54.797 --> 02:56.963 out to a friend in need . It's hard to 02:56.963 --> 02:59.186 know where to start . So here are a few 02:59.186 --> 03:02.500 pointers when you reach out , get their 03:02.500 --> 03:05.280 backstory , relate to what they're 03:05.280 --> 03:08.160 saying , validate their feelings . 03:08.840 --> 03:12.120 Listen , without judging and give them 03:12.120 --> 03:16.060 hope . But most importantly reach out , 03:17.240 --> 03:20.030 Let's say it's a breakup . Hey man , I 03:20.030 --> 03:22.030 saw your post . I've been through a 03:22.030 --> 03:24.252 couple breakup myself . I know that can 03:24.252 --> 03:26.700 be pretty bad . What's going on , bon , 03:26.700 --> 03:28.870 hey , you know this happened that 03:28.870 --> 03:31.092 happened . You know , we're just having 03:31.092 --> 03:33.314 to call it quits . I don't know . Hey , 03:33.540 --> 03:35.707 everybody's been through a breakup and 03:35.707 --> 03:37.762 I've been through this before . It's 03:37.762 --> 03:39.818 rough right now but it gets better . 03:39.818 --> 03:41.873 You've provided them hope and you've 03:41.873 --> 03:44.096 got to give them a way forward and make 03:44.096 --> 03:46.262 sure they know they don't walk alone . 03:46.262 --> 03:48.484 The responsibility is on each and every 03:48.484 --> 03:50.596 one of us to become accountable to an 03:50.596 --> 03:52.762 accountable for our fellow warfighters 03:52.840 --> 03:55.062 the same way as if you were in combat , 03:55.540 --> 03:57.651 you are responsible for the person to 03:57.651 --> 03:59.762 your left and your right and you look 03:59.762 --> 04:02.830 out for one another . So it's no 04:02.830 --> 04:05.120 different back home . You see somebody 04:05.120 --> 04:07.650 in trouble . You look after them . 04:08.940 --> 04:11.490 You can make a difference before your 04:11.490 --> 04:14.150 friend is overrun , pull them to safety , 04:14.390 --> 04:16.010 remind your friend there are 04:16.010 --> 04:18.140 reinforcements ready to help and that 04:18.140 --> 04:20.196 we don't have to do anything alone . 04:21.240 --> 04:22.962 Just like on the front lines , 04:22.962 --> 04:24.462 reinforcements are trained 04:24.462 --> 04:26.629 professionals who can help your friend 04:26.629 --> 04:28.590 build the defenses needed to work 04:28.590 --> 04:32.300 through tough times . How are 04:32.300 --> 04:34.300 you going to respond ? When you see 04:34.300 --> 04:35.967 someone having a tough time , 04:38.740 --> 04:41.280 you can make a difference . You can 04:41.280 --> 04:43.900 affect change . It may be tiring but 04:43.900 --> 04:46.011 you have to know who to call , who to 04:46.011 --> 04:47.956 contact where to go and you can do 04:47.956 --> 04:51.730 these things Military 04:51.730 --> 04:53.897 one source in the military crisis line 04:53.897 --> 04:55.730 are also reinforcements that can 04:55.730 --> 04:57.897 support your friend . They're free and 04:57.897 --> 05:01.880 available 24/7 . Remember you have your 05:01.880 --> 05:05.200 friends back ? Simple Things Save lives . 05:06.340 --> 05:09.550 Okay . Right . Mm . 05:14.340 --> 05:15.340 Yeah . 05:32.740 --> 05:33.840 Mhm . Yeah . 06:10.040 --> 06:11.040 Yeah . 06:17.240 --> 06:18.250 Mhm . Mhm .