Microhistories

Drawing on a century of Australian veteran history, we took the opportunity to ask how service, transition, family, belonging, recognition and institutional care shape life after uniform.

Unlike other approaches, we considered how distress can accumulate through isolation, fractured identity, institutional struggle and the loss of future possibility.

Through these unique microhistories, Open Door believes that prevention must begin before crisis, by making life after service more liveable.

If this has brought up anything for you, please visit our Learn More page to find support services that best fit your needs and circumstances.

key Findings

Transitioning to civilian life is an ongoing process that can unfold differently for every person, sometimes over many years.
We invite you to hear these perspectives with an open mind, and consider what it takes not only to acknowledge institutional harm, but to respond
Recovery is rarely only clinical. It can also depend on connection, understanding, recognition and the opportunity to make sense of experiences that are difficult to
What do we miss when Veteran Suicide is understood only through the lens of mental health?