Insomnia is one of the top sleep related diagnoses for military personnel and veterans (Kelly et al., 2019). Additionally, insomnia is associated with a myriad of psychological and medical problems, increases in utilization of healthcare services and costs (Bramoweth et al., 2022; Klingaman et al., 2018). It is a serious problem.
Recently Dr. Jenny Phillips wrote about ways that military couples can manage expectations and communication while deployed. One of things that stood out for me was the recommendation to utilize active and open communication. As part of an ongoing project, I’ve recently been diving into the literature on therapeutic encounter skills (e.g., empathy, active listening), and I realized the relevance that active listening has when also talking about couples’ communication.
Most of us know it’s important to be satisfied in a romantic relationship and yet, at some point in our lives, many of us have continued to engage in a relationship of which we were unhappy. So, what’s the big deal with staying in a romantic relationship which no longer fulfills us?
Couples communication during deployments is an important part of relationship maintenance for military families. In recent decades, enhanced access and new mechanisms for deployed communication have brought benefits but also new concerns related to communication frequency and content for couples. This blog reviews recent research findings and resulting recommendations for couples navigating communication expectations, social media, and communication blackouts during deployments.
Recently, I heard a news piece about Major General Gregg Martin, Ph.D., U.S. Army (Retired) that sparked my interest because typically an individual is disqualified from entering or serving in the military if they have a history of bipolar disorder. Yet General Martin served for years with undiagnosed bipolar disorder. His doctors have speculated that his latent condition may have been triggered when he was serving as a brigade commander leading thousands of soldiers during the assault on Baghdad in 2003.