Mental Health and Service To Country

As we celebrate Veteran’s Day (and the Marine Corps birthday!), let’s pause and address the mental health implications of service to country.  Those who serve in our armed forces signed on the dotted line, pledging their time, life, and limb.  Their family members, on the other hand, do not make this choice.  The mental health implications for the military member and their family deserve to be talked about.

Military members often do and see things that the civilian population couldn’t fathom.  They move across state lines to their next duty station. And, then they move again a few short years later. They might deploy to a war zone. While the rate of PTSD in the general population is 6.8%, veterans report rates of over 12%, nearly double that of the general population (reference below).  We need to support our service members in caring for their mental health.  From personal experience, my husband has served overseas in a number of deployments.  He struggled to acclimate when he returned, and had sleeping issues that persisted for a while.  I didn’t know how to support him, or what to offer as help.  And, I’m a mental health professional! I was adjusting too, and it was hard.

As for the family members…..

We might move with our partner to another active duty station in a state we might not have chosen, not knowing anyone. We face uncertainty and instability in that. If they are deployed, we bottle up our feelings because our closest friend and spouse is not around. And, we don’t want to burden them with our hassles from home. We want them to stay focused on their mission at hand. We want them to stay safe and come home.

We are scared, and stressed, and grieving that they are not home with us, especially as special events such as graduations or birthdays, or holidays, approach.

We absorb the job of two people. We keep the house running, getting the kids to various events. All as a single parent. The service member trains for deployments, but the family does not. Many times, they don’t know what to expect. They don’t know where to find help if they need it. Especially if we are not near an active duty base, we are isolated and alone.  We are overworked and are on an arbitrary timeline of when our loved one will return.

Service to country is noble.  There is so much pride in my heart for my husband, and his friends who have served.  But I have so many other feelings which complicate supporting him and that need to be talked about. 

Today, let us remember those who have served our country in the military. Let us celebrate them for their choices and hard work and dedication to a cause bigger than themselves.

And let us remember the service member’s family- their own parents, partners, spouses and children. The toll of a loved one in the military can be a heavy burden on them as well.

Let us support these individuals when they need help. Their jobs are tough and they don’t have to do it alone. Let us talk about mental health. Let us reduce the stigma of therapy for anyone. Let us normalize good self care and focusing on your mental well being.

Here’s to good mental health for all.

The mental health therapists at our office offer counseling for a variety of issues including trauma using EMDR, depression, anxiety, grief, and couples counseling. We work with kids, teens, adults, and couples. We also offer online counseling services which can be great for people with busy schedules or for people who live in parts of Pennsylvania with limited counseling options. You can check out our website to see the full list of counseling services that we offer. Or, Schedule An Appointment here. 

Reference:

https://www.hillandponton.com/resources/veterans-statistics-ptsd/#:~:text=In%20a%202017%20study%20involving,any%20point%20in%20their%20lives.