Marcia Morgan saw a man standing outside her door, so went to say hello. It saved his life
When she spotted a familiar-looking man standing outside her door, Marcia Morgan went to see what he wanted. She saved his life.
Marcia Morgan wishes R U OK? Day was shifted to Christmas time.
That’s the peak period of demand for Mates4Mates, the charity providing support services to military veterans and their families.
Ms Morgan is the organisation’s regional manager for the Central and North regions of Queensland, spanning a vast distance between Rockhampton and Townsville.
She is also a veteran herself, having joined the Royal Australian Army at 17-years-old and serving for 17 years.
“A couple of years ago, a man walked to the front door but didn’t come in,” she recalled. “I recognised him because we’d served together, so I walked out to say hello.
“He was in a bad, bad way. I got him in to see our clinical people here. We got him help. Later on, he told me how he’d driven past the centre six or seven times but couldn’t bring himself to stop. He was too scared to ask for help.”
Ms Morgan followed his progress over the coming months as Mates4Mates rallied around the vet, guiding him along the path to recovery.
“Six or so months in, we caught up and he told me that if I hadn’t come outside that day, he wasn’t going to talk through the door, and if he hadn’t got help right away, he’d be dead now.”
Those feelings of distress and hopelessness are ones she knows well.
When she discharged from the army in 2002, Ms Morgan found herself “totally lost” and struggling to push on.
“I didn’t know civilian life,” she recalled.
“It’s completely different to the army. I didn’t know how to transition and adjust. When I got out, I had to find a path on my own because there was nothing in those days in terms of support.”
Unable to find help and afraid to go to the doctor, she locked herself away in her home instead, effectively becoming a hermit.
“I got to some dark places. I thought hiding away would help me but it didn’t. I’d isolated myself and locked myself in the house.
“At the time, I didn’t think it was impacting my mental health but it sure was. I didn’t get any clinical help and I look back now and really regret it.
“I really had to push myself to break out and get back into the real world.”
The lack of dedicated support services for veterans when she needed them drives Ms Morgan’s passion to serve.
But there’s much more that could be done.
The latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows 1273 current and past Australian Defence Force members died by suicide between 2001 and 2019.
The vast majority – 1062 – were veterans who had left the service.
A separate report from the AIHW, prepared for the Independent Review of Past Defence and Veteran Suicides found the age-adjusted rate of suicide for ex-serving men was 22 per cent higher than the general population.
The median age of those vets who took their own lives was just 34 – more than a decade younger than typical.
An interim report from a Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was released in August last year and included a raft of recommendations.
Among them, the Royal Commission called for the government to “simplify and harmonise” legislation surrounding veteran compensation and rehabilitation.
The government should also prioritise eliminating a serious backlog of Veterans Affairs claims.
“The prevalence of suicide and suicidality among serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members is something that should concern us all,” the report read.
“Each death by suicide, each life lost, has profound effects on family, friends, colleagues and the wider community.”
The final report is yet to be delivered.
“We’re getting there and I think the Royal Commission will cause a good shake-up,” Ms Morgan said.
“I just hope the recommendations are adopted. We have a huge need for more mental health support services.”
She praised initiatives like R U OK? Day for encouraging Australians to check on their mates and to talk more openly about mental health and wellbeing.
“Days like this encourage people to check on their mates, but don’t just leave it for R U OK? Day,” she said.
“There are so many other days throughout the year when people also need help. We should be checking on those we love all year round.”
Veterans in need of support can contact Mates4Mates on 1300 4MATES (62837).
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