The discourse around mental health is spreading to the widest corners of society today. With its past laden with taboos and myths, it is a relief that mental health is being talked about, and many organizations are helping people suffering from it to heal and recover. In the same vein, mental health has always been considered taboo in the military, but Olivia J.M. Nunn has come forward to speak out against it by establishing her company, Olivia Nunn Communications, and supporting various non-profit organizations working for mental health.
Born and raised as the eldest of three siblings, Olivia always felt that it was her responsibility to be a robust role model for her family. According to her, the eldest children in Asian families are the ones who care for the whole tribe. With these expectations on her shoulders and her military training, she never learned how to ask for help. “As a soldier, we don’t know how to ask for help because it is not what the military trained us for,” says Olivia.
Throughout her career as an officer, she has seen her friends commit suicide because there were no resources to help them. After her retirement and divorce, Olivia thought of suicide and didn’t know how to ask for help or where to turn. It was then that she mustered up any courage she had to fight the dark thoughts in her head and come out into the light. Now, she actively paves the way for veterans to find the proper help they need in cases of mental health issues and invisible wounds.
Her partner’s organization, Work Play Obsession, assists veterans and ex-law enforcement officers by providing them the help they need. She offers recreational facilities and therapeutic sessions to slowly but surely fix the damage that is incurred in combat. Click here to learn more about it and find out what facilities they can provide.
Olivia did not stop her non-profit efforts with just one company; she regularly attends different talks and seminars to promote mental health and recovery. She recently spoke at the BRC Recovery seminar, encouraging veterans to come forward with their stories and share their journeys with those around them. Olivia wants to help veterans through civilian facilities because the military ones are very thinly spread.
She is sure that with civilian doctors and recovery centers ready to help veterans, they can make a massive difference in the veteran’s quality of life after the military. Olivia is confident that the high-suicide rate among solidiers can, after the combined effort of civilian and military communities, be brought to zero.
Click here to learn more about Olivia and her efforts to reduce soldier suicide rate.
