Maintaining Psychological Strength While Deployed

Warriors in the field depend on each other to get the job done right. Maintaining both physical and psychological strength is crucial to mission readiness, and that’s why the Department of Defense has established a comprehensive network of services for warriors experiencing combat-related symptoms from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Whether you’re deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else around the globe, excellent options for maintaining psychological strength are always available to warriors from every armed service.

Reaching Out is a Sign of Strength

Tools for maintaining peak psychological functioning are immediately available to service members who are willing to ask. Warriors from all armed services can take the following actions to maximize their mission readiness:

Talk to someone 24/7.

• Dial 866-966-1020 for psychological health and TBI information.
• Dial 800-342-9647 for confidential help from Military OneSource.
• Dial 800-273-TALK (8255) and press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line.

Connect online.

• Use Real Warriors Live Chat [1] to contact a trained health resource coach.
• Set up a confidential counseling session [2] online through Military OneSource.

Communicate with other service members.

• Connect with fellow warriors at the Real Warriors message boards [3].
• Talk to your buddies, commanding officer, medic or chaplain about issues you may be having — they are there to help you stay strong.

Contact a Combat Stress Control (CSC) Team

• The Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force each offer targeted support to warriors in the field in the form of CSC Teams.
• These psychological health professionals provide immediate, onsite support following traumatic combat or operational events.^{1 [4]}
• CSC Teams evaluate, treat and educate warriors affected by PTSD or TBI symptoms, and in most cases help them to return to their units without referring them to higher-level care.
• Your medic, chaplain or commanding officer can provide you with details on how to contact a CSC Team near you.

Whether you decide to call one of the phone numbers above, connect online, communicate with your fellow warriors or contact your CSC Team, care and treatment for maximizing your psychological functioning is always available to those with the strength to seek it.

Photo by Lance Cpl. Sean Murray

What to Expect After You Step Up

Regardless of which tool you use to seek support while deployed, your care and treatment will be conducted in a manner that is private, responsive and aimed at returning you to mission ready status as quickly as possible. In fact, most warriors that experience combat stress can proceed with their normal duties while recovering.

Engaging in treatment for symptoms of PTSD or combat stress while deployed is similar to doing so for many other kinds of medical treatment at your home station. The four basic initial steps are:

1. Make an appointment to be seen by a medical professional.
2. Provide personal history information.
3. Participate in evaluations to measure symptoms.
4. Discuss problems, stressors and medical history with a behavioral health professional.

After this initial process, which is referred to as an “intake appointment,” the next steps toward maximizing mission readiness may include:

• Receiving information about your condition.
• Learning stress reduction techniques to reduce mind and body tension.
• Learning coping skills to improve functioning with daily routines.
• Being encouraged to talk about previous stressful events.
• Being encouraged to take advantage of cognitive behavioral therapy [5], which is an effective treatment to address PTSD and/or depression.
• Taking medication to improve symptoms, if needed.^{1 [4]}

More than 1,400 behavioral health professionals are strategically staffed throughout the armed services,^{2 [6]} so expert care and treatment is readily accessible to those who step up and ask. Because they are specifically trained to understand the conditions experienced during combat,^{1 [4]} military behavioral health professionals are specially qualified to help you maximize your psychological strength while deployed.

Maintaining Your Strength

Like the thousands of other warriors who experience symptoms of PTSD or combat stress, you can maximize your mission readiness by having the strength to seek treatment while deployed, when peak performance is most critical.

Remember, no matter where you are deployed or what armed service you represent, ongoing treatment is always available so that you can operate at full strength in the field. All you have to do is ask.

Additional Resources

For Army

• Resilience Training, Army’s strength-based approach to warrior behavioral health [7]
• Information about CSC Teams [8]
• Comprehensive Soldier Fitness [9]
• Guide to Coping with Deployment and Combat Stress [10] [PDF 2.51MB]

For Marines

• Resources for deployed Marines [11]
• Information about suicide prevention [12]
• Combat Operational Stress Control [13]
• Navy & Marine Corps Public Health Center, Operational and Combat Stress page [14]
• Call the Marine Corps DSTRESS Line 24/7 [15] at 877-476-7734

For Navy

• Call or e-mail a Navy chaplain 24/7 [16]
• Navy & Marine Corps Public Health Center, Operational and Combat Stress page [14]

For Air Force

• Ways for Airmen to recognize and treat combat stress [17]
• Comprehensive Airman Program [18]

For All Services

• Information about PTSD treatment [5]

Sources

¹ [19]Military Homefront Combat Stress web page [20], last accessed 8/31/11.
² [21]Office of Communications, Asst. Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs).