People often place a lot of emphasis on the importance of service members getting care for their mental health after deployment — and rightfully so. These can be challenging times with a lot of mental health strain.
However, that doesn’t mean we should neglect pre-deployment care. The time before being deployed often brings its own challenges, especially with the uncertainty that service members face, which could cause stress and other mental health problems, including substance abuse. This post shares a few key considerations regarding mental health treatment if you or a loved one will be deployed soon.
It’s easy to focus on the physical challenges service members must meet to qualify for deployment. After all, working on your physical fitness is an essential part of preparing for basic training, which is why certain tests are in place that people need to complete before they can be declared fit for duty.
But it’s not just physical health that determines if someone is ready to be deployed. Their mental health also factors in. When you’re deployed, you will face many challenges, and you need to be able to cope with this. The military also performs random urinalysis substance tests, so those with active addictions will likely be unable to join.
Seeking pre-deployment mental health treatment can be an excellent step toward getting service members mentally prepared for their time on duty. People struggling with addiction need to seek treatment for it before they are deployed to ensure that they can properly perform their duties without placing themselves or others at risk. And it’s not just those who have an addiction who should seek treatment.
Many prospective service members may struggle with mental health problems like depression or anxiety, and they should also reach out to a professional to help them learn to cope with these emotions so that they have healthy coping strategies to implement when they’re serving.
Also, remember that it’s not just service members affected in these pre-deployment stages. Their family members also need to adapt to their new reality. Some of the effects of deployment on families include:
Both service members and their families should feel comfortable seeking treatment pre-deployment.
Those who will soon be deployed — as well as their families — need to take the time to mentally prepare for what life will be like after deployment. Many people take the approach of carrying on as usual and not dealing with this impending change, making the adjustment much harder. Mentally preparing for deployment looks a lot like dealing with any other struggles, so the following mental health care practices could be helpful:
Anyone can struggle with mental health problems, but these issues often rear their heads when someone is going through a significant life event, like joining the military. Everyone is different, and not all service members will have the same mental health struggles before deployment, but these are a few common problems:
People who are undergoing great stress, change or mental health struggles may lean on substances like drugs and alcohol as coping strategies, making service members pre-deployment susceptible to substance abuse. A study observing just one army unit found that 22% of soldiers struggled with heavy alcohol use. If not noticed, this abuse could develop into addiction.
If you will be deployed soon, you need to keep an eye on your substance use and seek help if you think it’s gotten out of hand. If you know someone about to be deployed, you should also keep an eye out for the following warning signs:
Encourage loved ones who may be struggling with addiction before deployment to seek professional help. Therapy and treatment can help them preserve their military careers and find hope.
Diamond House Detox is a mental health and addiction treatment center located in Sacramento, California. Our priority is making our clients feel safe, comfortable and welcome. Because of this, we have separate rooms for each client so that they have privacy while still having access to spaces for group discussions and activities. We have substance counselors, mental health experts and licensed medical staff that monitor our guests 24/7, offering them and their families the peace of mind that they are getting the care they need.
We offer pre-deployment addiction treatment and also have a dual treatment option that enables clients to receive help for both, as substance abuse and mental health struggles often go hand in hand.
Getting help for your struggles is one of the bravest things you can do, and we’re here to support you throughout your recovery. If you or a loved one is experiencing mental health challenges or addiction before deployment, or if someone you love is about to be deployed and you are struggling, we’re here to help. You can contact us to learn more about the support and care we can offer you on your journey.
