Veterans Day can be difficult for some of those who have served
MIAMI - Veterans Day is a time to recognize all those who have served in the U.S. military. It's a day to honor the service, the sacrifice and the contributions they've made to this country.
However, for some service members, the day can be bittersweet, bringing up a lot of differing emotions - both good and bad.
"It becomes very, very personal for a lot of people, especially when they've lost friends and loved ones," said Dr. Charles Weber.
Weber is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, psychiatrist and founder of the Family Care Center which provides mental health support to veterans and their families. He said those who have been deployed to combat zones can have an especially hard time, being forced to face certain feelings.
"I think a lot of it is a struggle for each one of the individual veterans, uh, that kind of get to marinate in, in, in some of their past and some of their past loss," said Weber.
Weber said it's okay to thank a veteran you don't know well, but if a loved one has served get personal with your gratitude. Give them your time, guide them to helpful resources and help them stay connected to others.
"If you know of a vet and they're isolating and they're staying away or they're kind of holding up, (there) is really do more than thank them for their service," said Weber. "Reach out, check up on them, invite him to that barbecue, invite him to that time to, to kind of reconnect with that, which we've sacrificed for," said Weber.
Weber says making room for veterans in your life, or your business, can also help a erase stigma he says is around some service members, especially those who struggle with mental health issues, like post-traumatic stress disorder.
