Adjustment Factors
Every Servicemember and their family will probably experience adjustments associated with the transition back home. Most will be able to adjust and will be stronger from the experience.
Others will have challenges with adjustment disorders, depression, anxiety and other affect disorders. A small percentage of Servicemembers will have complex challenges, such as combat stress, traumatic brain injury or operational stress reaction. No matter how small or large the challenges appear, there are resources available. It takes strength to ask for support - strength that only a United States Servicemember has.
Combat stress results from changes in mental functioning or behavior due to the challenges of combat and its aftermath. These changes can be positive and adaptive (e.g., increased confidence in self and peers), or they can be indications of distress or loss of normal functioning.
Combat Operational Stress
COS is characterized by acute and chronic stress faced by those who have experienced combat or other military activities such as training, deployment, peacekeeping, humanitarian missions, stability and reconstruction and government support missions. COS differs from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and has specific methods that returning veterans need to know in order to adapt.
COS consists of potentially irreversible changes in the brain and mind due to combat or operational stress that exceeds the ability of the individual to adapt. Symptoms of stress injury are normally resolved over time as the injury heals. However, in some cases intervention may be needed to promote healing.
COS can be of three types, differing mostly in the cause of the injury:
- Traumatic stress injury
- Fatigue stress injury
- Grief
Combat Operational Stress Reaction
COSR is something all Servicemembers experience after combat. It consists of a broad group of physical, emotional and mental reactions as a result of COS, which are considered normal reactions for high stress situations. Although you may feel uncomfortable or worried, it is natural and is not a cause for alarm.
Some common COSR include:
- Feeling detached from your family and friends
- Not feeling comfortable in large crowds
- Feeling worried, overwhelmed, depressed, irritable and frustrated
- Loss of interest or motivation
- Difficulty talking about what you experienced in combat
- Feeling jumpy or easily startled
If COSR symptoms become more pronounced and start to interfere with your ability to complete daily activities, you might be suffering from PTSD. If the reactions listed above last longer than six to eight weeks, then it's time to get professional support from a mental health counselor or medical professional.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD is a clinically diagnosed, psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience or witness of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents or violent personal assaults (rape).
As time passes, most survivors of trauma return to their normal life style. However, some people will have stress reactions that don't go away or may even worsen over time. These individuals may develop PTSD.
People who suffer from PTSD often relive the past event through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping and feel detached or estranged. These symptoms can be severe and last over an extended period of time, significantly impairing the person's daily life.
Resources:
National Center for PTSD
National Institute of Mental Health
MN Mental Health Association: 800-862-1799
Compulsive Disorders
Gambling/Eating/Shopping:
Gambling can be found in more places than just casinos. Even at the convenience store, playing the various Minnesota State Lottery games is a type of gambling. There are many online gambling sites as well. Not everyone who gambles has a gambling problem. If you are experiencing any of the following signs related to your desire to gamble, SEEK HELP.
Some of the warning signs of a gambling problem might include:
- Looking for the "high" that comes from gambling
- Increasing isolation from family and friends
- Declining work performance
- Neglecting basic needs like money for food and rent
- Pressuring others for money as financial problems arise
- Lying about how money is spent
- Escaping to other excesses (alcohol, sleep, drugs)
- Denying there is a problem
- Borrowing/stealing money/credit cards to gamble
Unintentional Injury/Safety:
Some Servicemembers, especially those returning from deployment, might have a "need for speed" and will engage in risky behaviors that could ultimately hurt them or others. Attempting to channel that energy into positive activities is well-intentioned, but the bottom line is that some counseling from a professional might be in order.
Inability to Sleep
After a deployment, Servicemembers may have a hard time falling asleep, wake up frequently in the night or wake up in the morning feeling as if they didn't sleep at all. There are tools, such as the Chill Drills series, that are designed to keep Servicemembers calm and focused on deployment, and to help ease the stresses of returning home after combat.
More Info: Website
Traumatic Brain Injury
TBI (concussion) is the damage caused by a brain-shaking event. It may occur at the time of a nearby blast, like an Improvised Explosive Device or Vehicle Born Improvised Explosive Device. TBI can also be triggered by basic head injuries unrelated to combat action.
Common symptoms include (but may not present themselves immediately):
- Blurry or double vision
- Depression
- Difficulty concentrating or thinking
- Difficulty finding words or understanding the speech of others
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Loss of memory
- Sleep difficulties (getting more or less sleep prior to the injury)
- Tingling, numbness, pain or other sensations
- Sense of spinning (vertigo)
- Weakness in one or more limbs, facial muscles or on an entire side of the body
The VA Medical Center in Minneapolis is one of the premier medical institutions for TBI. A medical examination is recommended for TBI symptoms.
Many COSIs include components of more than one type of stress injury since trauma, fatigue and grief are not mutually exclusive. Servicemembers should seek professional support when dealing with prolonged stress symptoms after combat.
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