Lori Bednarczyk holds her twins, Ashlynn and Delaney, while discussing her oldest daughter Kylie’s anxiety about her father’s deployment to Afghanistan. Bednarczyk and her daughter were able to get counseling with a child psychologist through the Lazarus Project, which her mother said has been a big help.
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Homecoming is a truly awesome event filled with joy, euphoria & a sense of relief. But it can also be one of the most challenging phases of deployment. This entry can help ease the transition & help you understand the challenges you may face.
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Across the United States, families split by deployment deal with loneliness, worry, raising children alone, communication issues and post-traumatic stress disorder. Suicide rates of formerly deployed personnel are on the rise. “They hear all the time: You soldier up; you don’t talk about it. And so they’re not going to ask for help,” McCullah says. “You have to go to them, and you have to be persistent.”
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“I feel like we don’t know each other!”
Following deployment, it’s common to feel unsure of your place in the relationship or family. It’s not uncommon to feel this way, and with some effort and understanding, the issue can be resolved.
Survivor’s Guilt can have a huge effect on the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical well-being of the someone. It can influence demeanor, actions and circumstances. Failure to resolve guilt, can result in a multitude of problems including mental health difficulties (e.g., depression), negative responses from others, disrupted relationships, a more pronounced traumatic reaction, and/or immobilization.
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On August 28th we sponsored Pastoral Training for local clergy to help them to be better equipped when addressing issues faced by our community due to the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. These skills will be (and in some cases, already are) used both in and outside of their congregations.
Our main presenter was Rebecca G. Townsend, Ed.S, a school psychologist and specialist in Deployment Psychology. In addition, she is the founder of S.A.F.E (Soldiers and Families Embraced), a program that offers counseling services to Veterans and their Families. Dr. Townsend covered subject areas such as military lifestyles and terminology, deployment issues both at home and overseas, and dealing with the “aftermath” such as reintegration and readjustment to being home. We also had two Guest Speakers- Mrs Claire Teter, a military spouse who spoke about the unique challenges faced by families when loved ones are deployed. She also specifically addressed areas attendees could focus on to help military families emotionally and spiritually, as well as with helping to fill gaps in counseling and other services. SFC (Retired) Don McCasland spoke to the group from the deployed Soldier’s perspective. Mr. McCasland was in the Army for over 21 years and deployed to Iraq three times with the 101st Airborne Division. He shared his personal story of exactly what military members face on a daily basis, and the far-reaching and potentially life changing effects of traumatic experiences on not only Soldiers, but on families as well. Attendees were able to ask questions for the benefit of the group, and were also able to speak with the presenters one-on-one during lunch and following the seminar with more specific questions and comments.
Overwhelmingly, the participants were in agreement that this training is not only much needed for Clergy, but within the community as a whole.
Children of military families work on art projects while their parents attend support groups or other programs at The Lazarus Project.
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In many ways, deployments are more difficult for kids because many times they have difficulty expressing fears, etc. Here are some pointers to help ease the burden for your kids
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Grief and Loss may seem like emotions that are impossible to get through. It’s not easy, but it can be done. Here are some tips about how to better handle it.
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While it may feel great when your family member returns home, the road can be rocky at times. Here’s some help on how to ease the transition…
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