There’s a version of strength that gets drilled in early in military life. Keep moving, don’t show weakness and sort it out yourself. For a lot of Veteran men, that mindset is part of what made them good at the job.
It’s also part of what makes the transition out harder than it needs to be.
Leaving the ADF doesn’t come with a manual. The structure, the purpose, the camaraderie — it goes quickly. What often stays longer is the habit of pushing through, of treating any sign of struggle as something to suppress rather than address.
But something is shifting. Quietly, and without much fanfare, more Veteran men are choosing to get on the front foot with their wellbeing. Not because they’re in crisis but because they’ve learned that waiting until things are bad isn’t the only way.
Disclaimer: The information shared within this article is not a replacement for professional help. If you, or someone you know, is in a crisis, please reach out to one of the 24/7 helplines listed below:
– Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
– Lifeline: 13 11 14
– Open Arms: 1800 011 046
Why men in the Veteran community are at higher risk and why it often goes unaddressed
In many cases, it starts before service. Australian men broadly are less likely to seek help for mental health concerns than women and more likely to minimise, deflect or push through. The reasons are cultural and well-documented: expectations around stoicism, self-reliance and not making a fuss that are woven into how many Australian men are raised.
Military service doesn’t create those attitudes from scratch — it amplifies them. The same qualities that civilian culture quietly encourages in men are actively trained and rewarded in the ADF. By the time a Veteran leaves service and navigates civilian life, the habit of not asking for help can be deeply ingrained.
The data on Veteran mental health reflects this. Ex-ADF members experience higher rates of psychological distress than the general population, and men make up the majority of that group. Yet help-seeking rates remain lower than you’d expect given those numbers.
Part of it is also practical. After leaving service, many Veterans find themselves without the structured support networks they had in the ADF. GP visits happen when something is obviously wrong. Mental health support feels like a last resort.
As a result, many Veteran men carry more than they need to and do it alone.
You might also like: Life After the ADF: How to Build a Mental Wellbeing Routine That Actually Sticks
What ‘preventative’ actually means in this context
Preventative mental health support doesn’t mean therapy for people who are struggling. It means building the habits, practices and support structures that make it less likely things will get to a crisis point in the first place.
Think of it the way you’d think about physical health. You don’t wait until you’ve had a heart attack to start thinking about exercise and diet. The same logic applies to psychological wellbeing — and the evidence increasingly supports it.
For Veteran men specifically, preventative support might look like:
- Having a qualified mental health professional you can talk to, so you’re not waiting until things are bad to reach out.
- Mindfulness and stress regulation practices that help keep the nervous system from staying in a permanent state of high alert
- Building routines around sleep, movement and connection that support psychological resilience over time
- Having someone in your corner who understands the Veteran experience and who you can talk to before things escalate
None of this requires a diagnosis or a crisis. It just requires a decision to take wellbeing seriously as an ongoing part of life — the same way you’d take fitness or nutrition seriously.
You might also like: Why Veterans Struggle With Sleep — and What Can Actually Help
The identity piece
For many Veteran men, the deeper barrier to seeking support isn’t practical; it’s about identity.
Military service shapes how you see yourself in profound ways. When that chapter ends, the question of who you are without it can be genuinely destabilising. And in that space, asking for help can feel like admitting that the transition isn’t going as well as it should be.
But the men who are getting on the front foot with their wellbeing aren’t doing it because they’ve failed at the transition. They’re doing it because they’ve recognised that the same discipline and self-awareness that made them effective in service can be applied to how they look after themselves in civilian life.
Taking your wellbeing seriously isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a sign that you’re paying attention.
What Men’s Health Week is really about
Men’s Health Week (15–21 June) exists to draw attention to the health issues that disproportionately affect men and to encourage men to take action before things get serious.
For the Veteran community, that message is particularly relevant. The gap between the level of psychological distress experienced by ex-ADF men and the level of support they actually access is real, and it has consequences — for the individuals, for their families, and for the broader community.
This week is a good prompt. Not to make a dramatic change or commit to something overwhelming, just to ask yourself honestly how you’re actually going. And if the answer is ‘not great’, consider that there are options beyond pushing through.
Final thoughts
The shift happening among Veteran men isn’t loud. It doesn’t look like a campaign or a movement. It looks like individual men deciding (often quietly, often after years of pushing through) that there might be a better way.
At Veteran Mindfulness Australia, we’ve built a program around that idea. The VMA program is designed as a low-pressure, accessible starting point for ex-ADF members who want to get on the front foot with their wellbeing. Not a crisis service, but a way to look after your wellbeing for the long run. Available to eligible DVA clients. Check your eligibility with DVA or reach out to our team for help.
Find out more about the VMA program or get in touch with our team to start the conversation.
A note on DVA funding
1:1 sessions with a qualified mental health professional may be covered under DVA arrangements for eligible DVA clients. Eligibility varies depending on your individual circumstances. Program tools are provided by Veteran Mindfulness Australia where clinically appropriate, as recommended by your practitioner, and are not funded by DVA. Depending on your needs, these may include access to the Calm app and items such as headphones for audio-based mindfulness exercises or a sleep mask to support your sleep routine. Check your eligibility with DVA or reach out to our team for help.
Disclaimer
This content provides general information only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Eligibility for DVA-funded mental health support varies depending on your individual circumstances. Check your eligibility with DVA or reach out to our team for help. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact Open Arms on 1800 011 046 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.