Military Stress Ashlie Cox Haley Gilbert Jadon Nichols
Military Stress Ashlie Cox, Haley Gilbert, Jadon Nichols, Sam Spencer, Halle Kish
What is the Military? “The definition of military is the armed forces responsible for securing and defending a country. ” Comprised of four branches: Army Navy Air Force Marines
Four Branches of Military Defined Army Largest branch and fights on land Navy Military forces that use ships, submarines, and airplanes. Air Force Aviation branch of the armed forces. They use fighter jets and planes. Marines Fight in land, sea, water. They go on intensive and dangerous missions. During
Definition of overall relevant terms Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD is anxiety and flashbacks triggered by a traumatic event Severe flashbacks, nightmares and anxiety Can last up to a month or up to a lifetime Military Base Shelters all personnel and equipment All over the world http: //www. usnews. com/news/articles/2015/12/05/vietnam-veterans-still-have-ptsd-40 years-after-war
Homecoming Videos *cue the tears https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=RMLl 1 LFrtoo
Who does it affect? Military families relocate 10 times more often than civilian families -- on average, every 2 or 3 years. Since 2001, more than 2 million American children have had a parent deployed at least once. Children in military families experience high rates of mental health, trauma, and related problems. About 30% reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 weeks during the past 12 months. Nearly 1 in 4 reported having considered suicide. Multiple and prolonged deployment also has an effect on spouses, with 36. 6% of women having at least one mental health diagnosis compared to 30% of women whose husbands were not deployed. Bereavement experts report that for each active duty military loss, an average of 10 people are significantly impacted. In the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, an estimated 68, 360 family members have been significantly impacted.
Overall Concerns ● PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) ● Stress ● Anxiety ● Depression ● Ambivalence ● Ambiguity ● Drug Addiction
Cold War (1947 -1991) Nuclear Family A time of anxiety, fear, paranoia People eager to establish families, married young
Vietnam War (1955 -1975) Very unpopular war 58, 209 killed 153, 303 wounded Veterans seen as crazed killers Idea of the Nuclear Family still prevalent
Vietnam War (1955 -1975) Veterans dealt with: Heroin addiction Alcoholism Perception of being killers PTSD Adjustment to society
Afghanistan & Iraq Wars (2001 -Present) Husbands & Wives left at home experience: Financial Challenges Loneliness Additional Parenting Responsibility Children experience: Anxiety Behavioral Problems Stress, often lasting years
Afghanistan & Iraq Wars (2001 -Present) Service members are more likely to marry young, and have children at home
Military Stress Related to HDFS Coursework ● Ambiguity ● Ambiguous Loss ● Boundary Ambiguity ● Adaptability ● Resiliency ● Positive and Negative Coping
Terms Defined Ambiguity: Resiliency: How Uncertainty/Unclear fast one bounces back or adapts to change. Boundary Ambiguity: Not knowing who is in and who is out of the family system. (The person deployed) Adaptability: Being flexible and managing change. Coping (Positive or Negative): Activities an individual does or things one does in order to take their mind off or manage stress.
Ways of Coping ● Talk about it ● Take care of physical health ● Limit exposure to News Media ● Engage in activities you find relaxing
ABC-X Model B X A C
Effects on Families Loneliness/Sadness Financial difficulties Dealing with problems on their own Added family duties and responsibilities Feeling overwhelmed Concern over being needed and loved
Effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on Families Returning from deployment can result in family adjustment issues Shouting with, shoving, and pushing (current or former partners) Partner or children may become afraid of them Lower levels of happiness Less satisfaction in their lives Verge of a nervous breakdowns Feel emotionally detached or unable to love anyone Lack of sleep → irritability and anger
Effects on Marriages and Relationships Partners may become very alone Partners may question whether the marriage/relationship should continue The permanent change of station affects military marriages in several ways The length of a military spouse’s deployment is related to divorce Military spouses need time to unwind/emotionally withdraw after deployment Deployment is easier if you have a strong support network https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=j. OGx 3 -ZWj. HM
Effects on Society American Psychological Association White House Joining Forces Initiative
Solutions/Intervention within the Family
Create a Deployment Plan Families should create a deployment plan that includes provisions for the mental, physical, legal, and financial health of the family
Communication Before departing, spending time with the child and spouse should be of utmost priority Several ways of communicating while gone (Dependent on several factors) Skype Military Families Near and Far (https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=HI 1 AMomh. O 6 A) Letters Phone calls Communication between family who is not deployed often must improve
Spouses Often feel need to be strong/hold in emotions Think their own feelings/problems are insignificant compared to their spouse or kids With children at home, there may be a lack of adult interaction Spouses. OKAY should seek. TO support from FOR friends, family, and military support groups IT’S ASK HELP!
Death Military families are not always returned a body Helpful to have some sort of ceremony, item, and place to commemorate Counseling can help significantly, but most families will need time and patience to improve Open communication and togetherness as a family are very important Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is a nonprofit organization that can help make counseling referrals and offer support groups
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Many military personnel return from deployment with PTSD Loved ones are recommended to have patience and encourage them to seek counseling Cognitive Processing Therapy, which involves small changes in interpretation of events, is the most recommended
Solutions/Interventions within Society
Support of All Kinds You can support military families by giving to certain charities and voting for certain candidates Observe federal holidays recognizing veterans and attend events Learn how to react sensitively to military families and give support April is the “Month of the Military Child, ” do something! Ohio 4 H offers an Ohio Military Kids club. They need volunteers for their events!
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