Many service members will experience a deployment during their military career, often more than once. Deployments are essential to our military operations, but adjusting to life back home can be challenging after long periods away from the States.

Many service members will need to adjust to a new routine and deal with the complex feelings they’re experiencing from their deployment. If you or a loved one has just returned home from a deployment, you can learn more about the challenges and mental health issues our troops experience post-deployment. We’ve also provided tips and resources to help you with your mental health while you’re readjusting to life at home.

Common Challenges After Deployment

Deployments present unique challenges, and adjusting to life at home can be incredibly difficult for our service members. Some of the many reasons coming back home after a deployment can be challenging include:

●Social stigma and active criticism

●Challenges reconnecting with loved ones

●Physical and emotional trauma

●Alienation with life at home

●Limited access to resources

●Altered family structure and routine

As a result of these challenges and more, service members often have challenges adjusting to life after a deployment. These struggles must be considered when supporting our troops dealing with reintegration.

Symptoms of Post-Deployment Stress

Many service members return from a deployment with signs and symptoms of something called Post-Deployment Stress or Syndrome (PDS). PDS is an umbrella term for a broad range of conditions, including PTSD, chronic pain, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and other physical and mental health conditions.

Some signs or symptoms of PDS include:

●Risk-taking behaviors, including substance abuse, reckless driving, or self-harm

●Flashbacks, anxiousness, nightmares, and other symptoms of PTSD

●Trouble sleeping or restlessness

●Social withdrawal

●Hypervigilance or oversensitivity

●Poor self-esteem or loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities

●Violence, including sudden rage or irritability

If you notice these signs in yourself or a loved one, it’s a good sign there is trouble in readjusting to life after deployment, and could be due to underlying mental health concerns. Service members have a lot of resources to help them readjust, including mental health treatment and community support.

Tips for Readjusting After Deployment

If you’re preparing to come home from a deployment or you’re having trouble readjusting, we’ve got some tips to help you out:

1. Take Care of Yourself

If you’re struggling with your mental health after coming back from deployment or are finding it difficult to readjust, a good place to start is to take care of yourself. Start with some of the basics, including:

●Getting enough sleep and maintaining a consistent sleep routine

●Eating a healthy, balanced diet with the right nutrients

●Exercising regularly, either at the gym or through sports

●Spending time with loved ones

Ensuring your physical needs are met can help you improve your mental well-being. While it’s not guaranteed to fix everything, it’s a great way to ensure you’re in the best physical condition possible to start caring for your mental health.

2. Pay Attention to How You Feel

While many service members feel relieved or happy to be home after a deployment, these aren’t always the only feelings that come up. Some service members notice mood swings and increased irritability or anger that wasn’t common before deployment. The stress of deployment can significantly alter behavior while readjusting to life at home.

It’s natural to have a mix of emotions when you’re readjusting. If you notice you’re feeling angry or irritable, you can manage your emotions by walking away from situations that trigger these emotions. You can also talk to others about what you’re feeling or exercise to release some endorphins to improve your mood.

If you’re feeling depressed or like you might harm yourself, you can always call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 for veterans.

3. Talk With Others

When you’re dealing with post-deployment stress, communication is critical in helping you make a smoother adjustment, especially for your loved ones. Talking with your loved ones is a great way to feel more comfortable with them again after so much time apart. If you have any children, they’ll often have questions, especially if their routine is broken by your return home. Consider scheduling a regular time to talk with your children, answer some of their questions, and check in regarding their well-being.

Other people you’ll want to talk to include your healthcare providers. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or generally unwell, you can talk to your doctor or psychologist to get help. Medical professionals can help you navigate your changing emotions as you readjust to life at home.

4. Seek Mental Health Treatment

If you’ve returned home and feel that you’re having a hard time with your mental health, you should seek professional treatment. Leaving mental health conditions untreated could worsen your symptoms.

Whether you’re struggling with PTSD, depression, anxiety, or another condition, there are treatments available to help. Seeking treatment can help you feel more like yourself again. Treatment lengths and methods vary for each individual, but the sooner you seek treatment for post-deployment stress, the sooner you’ll feel better and return to what you enjoy most.

5. Limit Substance Use

Using alcohol or drugs, especially in heavy amounts, can worsen many mental health symptoms while clouding your judgment and suppressing your feelings. Generally, you’ll want to avoid using substances when you come home from a deployment, especially if you’re dealing with any form of PDS. Instead, participate in activities you enjoy, whether that’s working out, spending time with friends and family, spending time in nature, playing games, or watching TV.

Where Service Members Can Get Help

Service members can get the help they need from many different resources if they’re struggling post-deployment. Some of these mental health resources include:

●Military Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1 to receive 24/7 mental health and crisis support specific to service members.

●Military treatment: You can find mental health treatments covered by TRICARE in the civilian world through the TRICARE Mental Health website, or you can find a military treatment facility near you using their locator.

●National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 955 to access a 24/7 suicide prevention hotline.

●Local services and programs: You can find mental health programs and services near you using the MilitaryINSTALLATIONSwebsite.

●Personal healthcare provider: You can talk with your doctor or healthcare provider to seek treatment or find resources to help treat and improve your mental health.

●Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence: Visit this center of excellence to learn more about traumatic brain injuries and psychological issues that can develop after a deployment.

MLC Offers Our Gratitude and Support to Our Troops

Those of us at Military Luggage Company understand the importance of quality mental health treatment for our troops. Our service members make countless sacrifices to protect our country, and we hope that our guide helps them find the resources they need to readjust successfully after deployment.

We want to extend our gratitude and support to our service members by offering our warrior discounts to them and their families. You can use these discount codes with any of our products, which you can use to facilitate a successful military career. We’d like to take this moment to thank our service members for their sacrifices, and please feel free to contact us if there’s anything we can do to help!