According to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), more than 380,000 active duty Service members received a first-time TBI diagnosis between 2000 and the first quarter of 2018. Embedded in that large number are not only the experiences of the Service members themselves, but also their family members and caregivers whose own lives are often affected by a TBI diagnosis for their loved one.
Relationship distress is a common presentation in the military mental health clinic in which I work and is also a frequently seen precipitating factor for combat stress during deployment. Most of the mental health professionals I work with cite relationship woes as the top reason underlying adjustment disorders in theater. We also know that relationship problems of various types (loss of relationship, perceived burdensomeness in relationships) are associated with an elevated risk of suicide and other mental health problems.
“Dynamic Force Employment” When I first heard this term, I thought it was a new program designed to help military spouses find jobs. There are new initiatives being created all the time to support spouses and families and I thought this might be one of them. I was wrong.
Exercise is known to have several health-related benefits to include both physical and psychological. But what do we know about the relationship between exercise and sleep? Take a moment and think about what you have heard about sleep and exercise.
Winter has many associations that stir a range of emotional responses. Some may look forward to the holiday season, colder weather, and burrowing indoors with the comforts they have come to seek over the years. Others may find themselves longing for sunshine, wishing they could fast-forward to warmer months. In Hawaii, winter usually consists of cooler temperatures, rain, a shifting swell (from the south shore to the north shore), and relatively shorter days. The changes that accompany the seasons, whether drastic or nuanced, can serve as reminders that we, too, are changing.