Women Veteran Peer Support Gets Social

I know that being a Woman Veteran can sometimes make you feel alone in the world, that no one understands what happened to you in the military wasn’t necessarily the same as what everyone else talks about.  It can also be harder to connect with others, sometimes you can feel so much older, or younger, than those you consider part of your circle.  While your high school friends were going to college, you were in boot camp learning to function as part of a ‘well oiled fighting machine.’  When or if you decide to further your education, you have more in common with your professors than your fellow students.  You might even have a few professors ask you “How do you do it? How can you go from being the student, to the role model, to the equal of your other teachers so easily?”  What my professor was asking was how could I identify to so many different communities on campus?  My answer was simple, “Military mentality.”

I explained I was making my community work for me.  Having been in the military taught me that no mater what is going on in my life, both personal and professional, I had to be able to adjust to those I was around.  A mentor to those junior to me, a colleague to those similar to me, and respectful of those senior to me.  I was both a mentor and colleague to many of the ‘kids’ I was in classes with.  I could be both a colleague and respectful of my professors, when needed I could switch roles at the drop of a hat.  It took a while for me to realize that was not the best way for me to wear my own hats.  I had a core group of friends, most were either single moms living on campus.  The other were Veterans and/or Reservist, who attended the same university.  The majority of those were male, single, and combat veterans.

So what are socials? Socials are community based social gatherings designed to meet the unique needs of Veterans, to foster social interaction in the community.  These socials are a way to reduce isolation, to be able to have access to resources, support, and services Veterans may need or never have known about.  Socials generally are not at a VA facility, to help eliminate anxiety some may have going to a facility when they do not have an appointment. There is a social at the Madison VA Hospital, this social is to help education what a social is for those who may not have heard of one.  Socials are drop in. Attendance is taken, but it is the number of veterans attended a given social.  It’s an opportunity to meet other Veterans, talk about experiences, find out information about things you may not have known about, and to find a community of people with similar experiences.

For more information about Peer Support, Peer Services, and Community Socials; contact your Primary Care or Mental Health Provider.

For more information about the Madison VA Hospital, visit www.madison.va.gov www.facebook.com/MadisonVAHospital and subscribe to our newsletters.