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Hello my friends,
As alot of you know I have son's in the Army and they just came back from Iraq before Thanksgiving,Well They are not going to be reinlisting praise god as they do not want to go back to Iraq,yet they wanted to make it a career.One of my boys had been in for almost 9 years the other one 5 years,The boys have seen many bad things,There friends are coming home different as my boys are included.My one son saw his friends and crew members get blown to pieces by a under ground detenated bomb,my son will never be the same after that.Those were his friends.
Alot of our Soldiers are coming back And there are highs of homecoming.
Homecoming can turn to depression if a family fails to adjust. The dark side of homecoming for some may be slow and painful.War changes everyone.Here are some tips that can help families give support or help someone they know who is a soldier.
this can help to readjust to a some what normal life;
Give a vet some space- most won't want to talk about the violence they wittnessed right away.
Then lend an ear- When the time comes, prepare to listen. The recollections may come out over the course of weeks or months, as your loved one reformulates the memories into meaningful stories.
REcognize that things are different now-
The world has changed. A spouse may have taken on new responsibilities. There may be some jealousy over what has been missed. Bring your vet up to date slowly, one issue at a time.
Understand the vet's need to spend time with war buddies-
Families need to know that the vet's lifeline to peers often makes the difference between coping and withdrawl into isolation.
Expect a period of adjustment-
It can take six to eight weeks to get back to something that approaches normal,both physically and mentally.
Get help-
If problems persist for more then 3 months then they need to seek professional help.
Take a screening test-
A new online test offered by the department of defense called the mental health self assesment, it lets them identify if there is a problem before urgent problems begin.
http://www.militarymentalhealth.org
the site also covers information about mental health and substance abuse services covered by the DOD.
hope this helps others or pass it along to someone else who it might help.Many blessings to our soldiers. Kathy
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