Active duty service members and veterans face unique challenges that can impact their mental health, leading to conditions like PTSD, depression, anxiety, substance use, and other disorders. These challenges can bleed into other parts of their lives, affecting their relationships, careers, and financial stability.

We’ve done a deep dive to talk more in-depth about the role of military service on mental health and the resources available to our troops and veterans. Continue reading to learn more about mental health challenges in our service members, support options, and how you can take steps to improve your mental well-being.

How the Military Can Impact Your Mental Health

While some service members don’t experience mental health challenges during their service or after, many do struggle with these issues. Many different risk factors related to their service can lead military personnel to develop mental health issues, including:

●Physical injuries

●Stressful or traumatic scenarios

●Spending a lot of time away from loved ones

●Being deployed into combat scenarios

●Losing a fellow service member

Additionally, once service members retire or finish their contract and become veterans, the transition into civilian life can be a significant challenge. These challenges can lead to further issues, such as family tension, social isolation, and homelessness. These issues can rapidly evolve into worsening mental health, which creates a vicious cycle without the proper intervention.

Different Disorders and Mental Health Challenges That Affect Service Members

While any disorder can affect military personnel, the most common include:

●Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

●Depression

●Anxiety

●Suicide

●Substance abuse

In conditions like PTSD, depression and anxiety are often a part of the diagnosis. Substance use and abuse can also make mental health conditions worse, masking the problem until it becomes too serious to ignore. All these disorders need the proper treatment to improve mental health outcomes, even if they’re less severe than others sharing the same diagnosis.

Signs You May Need Mental Health Treatment

When people are dealing with mental health challenges, they’ll present signs and symptoms that indicate they need mental health intervention or treatment. Some of the most common signs include:

●Low moods or feelings

●Loss of appetite or sleep

●Using substances to cope with uncomfortable feelings

●Not taking care of your health or home

●Isolating yourself from loved ones

●Losing interest in once-enjoyed activities

●Difficulty concentrating

●Memory problems

●Challenges performing at work

●Suicidal ideation

While these aren’t all the signs or symptoms of mental health disorders or challenges, they’re some of the most common that people will struggle with without treatment. If you notice any of these signs in yourself or anyone else, you should look for resources that can help or speak with a mental health treatment specialist.

Resources for Active Duty and Veteran Service Members

Treatment for mental health conditions varies based on the condition and severity. Service members have access to many of the same resources as civilians, but also have other resources to use through their healthcare providers and military organizations. Some of the resources you can utilize include:

●Crisis helplines: First things first, all service members should know about the 24/7 crisis helpline available to them in moments of need. The Military Crisis Line can be accessed by dialing 988 and pressing 1 or texting 838255. You can also use their online chat at any time.

●Chain of Command: If an active duty service member is feeling overwhelmed, they can go to their First Sergeant during office hours. It’s the First Sergeant’s responsibility to know the proper resources to get their troops help. Going to your command is a sign of strength and shows you’re willing to do the difficult work to get better. Don’t be afraid to speak openly with your command when you need help, as it’s a great resource you can use to improve your mental health. Use their open office hours or call them directly if you need to speak with them sooner.

●Military treatment centers: You can find various military treatment centers across the country to help with mental health. TRICARE has a convenient location finder you can use to find a military treatment center near you. You can talk with a doctor to find the treatment that’s right for you, whether it’s therapy, medication, or another alternative.

●Psychological Health Resource Center: Service members and their family members can contact the PHRC with their questions about mental health. Mental healthcare consultants can help service members assess their mental well-being and the available resources in their area.

●Real Warriors Campaign: The Real Warriors Campaign focuses on encouraging service members to reach out for help when they need it and reducing mental health stigma. You can find support articles and other resources to learn more about mental health and the avenues for treatment.

●Support groups: Some of the problems service members deal with are related to trauma or substance abuse resulting from their service. There are many support groups available for specific needs, including veterans support groups where you can talk about issues specifically related to your service with others who understand what you’re going through.

Tips for Improving Your Mental Health

While treatment can go a long way in improving your mental health, it won’t help as much if you don’t make changes at home or in your lifestyle. Service members experience unique challenges that could put a strain on their mental health, which is why it’s critical to take care of yourself as much as possible. Different things you can do to boost your mood and provide symptom relief while you’re receiving professional treatment include:

1. Take Time to Relax

Working in the military can be stressful, even after your service officially ends. PTSD and other service-related conditions can cause a lot of life-long stress, affecting a service member's and veteran's mental health.

Remember to take time to relax, especially after a stressful day or event. Find something that makes you feel calm, such as taking a walk, listening to music, or taking a warm bath. Try to schedule time in your day specifically for relaxation, which will help you decompress and improve your mental health over time.

2. Focus on Your Physical Health

It’s nearly impossible to improve your mental health when you're struggling physically. Make an effort to eat healthy, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep each day. When your body has enough energy and you’re not dealing with poor physical health from poor lifestyle habits, you can focus more on your mental health and treatment.

3. Participate in Activities You Enjoy

If there is one or more activities that make you feel happy, try to make time in your day to do these regularly. Spending time doing something you enjoy can boost your dopamine levels, which are a natural hormone that makes us feel happier, motivated, and satisfied. Think of the activities you like to do and which bring you the most joy, whether that’s cooking, watching TV, playing games, reading a book, or other fun hobbies.

Even if you’re struggling to find interest in these activities due to a low mood or other symptoms of mental health disorders, making an effort to participate anyway can have a significant positive effect on your mental health.

5. Make a Self-Care Kit

When you’re feeling down, it can be hard to take care of yourself. Planning ahead by making a self-care kit can reduce the difficulty of caring for your well-being, and it can go a long way in improving your mental health. Make a kit filled with the things that make you happy, including a new book, stress balls, warm blankets, music, bath bombs, or other self-care items. You can also fill it with items you know you need to care for your physical health while you’re feeling down, including vitamins, face wash, melatonin, sleeping masks, and other items.

6. Talk to Someone

One of the best things you can do to improve your mental health is to talk to someone, whether it’s a family member, friend, coworker, or professional. You don’t want to bottle up everything you’re feeling and hope for the best as this can quickly lead to worsening symptoms and mental health outcomes.

Talking about what you’re feeling can help relieve stress, and you’ll open up to a crucial part of your support network who can offer help in their own way. Speaking to a professional can help you find avenues for treatment to help improve your mental health in the long term.

MLC Offers Our Support to Our Service Members and Veterans

Our service members and our veterans sacrifice a lot for our country, and we want to offer our thanks and support. We’ve covered mental health in various places in our content, including in the fifth episode of our podcast Honoring Hidden Heroes and our blog about community support for veterans.

We aim to continue to find resources for our service members and veterans so they can get the help they need to live a fulfilling life. We hope you or a loved one can find the help they need with the resources we’ve discovered, and we’ll keep an eye out for more resources in the future.