For Families & Caregivers
The people closest to a veteran are usually the first to notice when something is off — long before anyone asks for help. GO-180 isn't just for the veteran in your life. It's for you too: the spouses, parents, children, and caregivers who hold the line at home.
Recognize the warning signs
Transition is hard, and a tough week isn't a crisis. But when several of these show up together, or one shows up suddenly and strongly, it's worth paying closer attention. Trust what you know about your person — and lean toward acting early rather than waiting to be sure.
Withdrawal & disengagement
Pulling away from friends, family, or activities they used to enjoy. Skipping calls, isolating at home, going quiet.
Changes in sleep
Sleeping far more or far less than usual, trouble falling asleep, nightmares, or being awake at odd hours.
Increased substance use
Drinking more, leaning on prescriptions, or using substances to cope with stress or numb how they feel.
Giving away possessions
Giving away things that matter to them, settling affairs, or saying goodbye in ways that feel out of place.
Talk of being a burden
Saying loved ones would be better off without them, that they have no purpose, or that they feel trapped.
Anger & irritability
A shorter fuse than usual, frequent agitation, or anxiety that seems hard to settle.
Risky behavior
Acting recklessly without seeming to care about the consequences — driving, spending, or other risks.
When in doubt, reach out.You will never regret checking in too often. If you're worried someone may be in immediate danger, don't leave them alone — call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988, then press 1, or call 911.
What you can do
Support doesn't require having all the answers. A few steady steps make a real difference.
Start a conversation
You don't need the perfect words. Ask directly and listen without judgment: "I've noticed things have been hard lately. How are you really doing?" Caring questions don't plant ideas — they open a door.
Connect them with support
The Veterans Crisis Line is free, confidential, and available 24/7 to veterans, service members, and their families — you don't have to be in crisis to reach out.
Explore GO-180 together
You don't need an account of your own to make a difference. Walk through the platform side by side — employment, finances, housing, benefits, relocation — and turn a wall of unknowns into one shared plan. For the parents, children, and caregivers holding things together at home, this is your way in.
Spouses get their own seat
A military spouse can have a full GO-180 login of their own — the same toolkit the veteran uses (jobs, finances, housing, relocation, and benefits), not a read-only view over someone's shoulder. The member sends an invite from their account, and the spouse sets up their own login.
In a Crisis Right Now?
If you or the veteran you care for is in emotional distress or thinking about suicide, free and confidential support is available 24 hours a day, every day. You don't have to be a veteran to call.
For a medical emergency or immediate danger, call 911.