Military Children and Deployments
opinion Essay
1531 words
Military children are in a league of their own, and at very young ages are thrown into situations of great stress. Approximately 1.2 million children live in the U.S. Military families (Kelly. 2003) and at least 700,000 of them have had at least one parent deployed (Johnson et al. 2007). Every child handles a deployment differently, some may regress in potty training, and others may become extremely aggressive. Many different things can happen, in most cases when a parent deploys and the child becomes difficult to handle, it can cause a massive amount of stress on the parent that is not deployed as well as added stress on the parent who is deployed. There are three stages of a deployment, pre-deployment, deployment, and reintegration, being educated on these three things can make a deployment “run” smoothly for the entire family.
The pre-deployment stage can be extremely stressful for the family, out of the three stages it is more often than not, the worst. During the pre-deployment stage, parents can sometimes become preoccupied with the preparation and anticipation of the Active Duty member leaving, and will spend little time preparing their children. When a child finds out that a parent is being deployed they can sometimes be overwhelmed with emotion. The child will go through two phases Expectation for Separation, and Emotional Withdrawal. Expectation for Separation usually occurs six to eight weeks prior to the deployment. Feelings during this phase can range from excitement, denial, fear, to even anger. Emotional Withdrawal usually occurs one week prior to deployment. Feelings that most children will experience include ambivalence, fear, resentment, and even guilt (U.S. Department of Defense, n.d.).
As the d...
... middle of paper ...
....
(2007). The Psychological Needs of U.S. Military Service Members and Their Families:
A Preliminary Report. (Presidential Task Force on Military Deployment Services for
Youth, Families and Service Members). Washington, DC: American Psychological
Association.
Kelly, M.L. (2003). Geographic Mobility, Family, and Maternal Variables As Related To The
Psychological Adjustment Of Military Children. Military Medicine, 168, 1019-1024.
Pavlicin, K.M. (2003). Surviving Deployment: A Guide For Military Families. St.Paul,
MN: Elva Resa
U.S. Department of Defense. (n.d.) Educator’s Guide to the Military Child During
Deployment. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://k12.wa.us/OperationMilitaryKids/pubdocs/educatorsguide.pdf
USO, Inc. (2009). United Through Reading. Retrieved March 20, 2010,
from http://uso.org/whatwedo/usoprograms/unitedthroughreading/
In this essay, the author
- Opines that parents should inform their children's caregivers and teachers that a parent will be deploying.
- Advises parents to be consistent with rules, discipline, and their daily routine. if their child is angry, the parent should teach them positive ways to express their feelings. military installations offer give parents a break.
- Opines that the final stage of a deployment is reintegration, and that parents should plan to spend some time with their children by doing activities that are special to them.
- Opines that military families should be educated on the different coping strategies that are needed to get through the stages of deployment.
- Explains that military children are in a league of their own, and at very young ages are thrown into situations of great stress.
- Explains that when a military member deploys, the family members will have feelings of loss, loneliness, emptiness, and worry. children of deployed military members reach different levels of adjustment.
Related
- opinion
- analytical
- explanatory
- Life In The Military Essayopinion essayMilitary kids are the ones that have it the hardest, they didn’t chose this lifestyle that they were brought into. Surprisingly, most of the time they are rather resilient. Military families are faces with numerous challenges and opportunities that help them develop diverse strengths
In this essay, the author
- Opines that military communities do not live the life that most do. they miss the somber sounds of taps being played at 9pm.
- Opines that military kids are the ones that have it the hardest, they didn't choose this lifestyle that they were brought into. military families face numerous challenges and opportunities that help them develop diverse strengths.
- Opines that military spouses are the glue that holds it all together. henderson's statement shows how important the role of a spouse truly is.
- Opines that deployments are the hardest part of the military life. it's hard going through the day knowing that your loved one is halfway across the world and anything can happen.
- Explains that living the "military life" is different from any other lifestyle. plans are impossible to make and everything is spur of the moment. there is a whole life after the military.
726 wordsRead More - Soldiers and PTSDanalytical essayPersonalization Project Military Pathway (2013) concluded “Military life, especially the stress of deployments or mobilizations, can present challenges to service members and their families that are both unique and difficult”. Hence, it is not surprising that soldiers returning from a stressful war environment often suffer from a psychological condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This paper provides a historical perspective of PTSD affecting soldiers, and how this illness has often been ignored. In addition, the this paper examines the cause and diagnosis of the illness, the changes of functional strengths and limitations, the overall effects this disease may have on soldiers and their families, with a conclusion of possible preventative measures and treatment options.
In this essay, the author
- Concludes that soldiers returning from a stressful war environment often suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. the paper examines the cause and diagnosis of the illness, the changes of functional strengths and limitations, and the overall effects this disease may have on soldiers and their families.
- Explains that the website my ptsd (2013) explores the history of the disease experienced by soldiers.
- Explains that veterans who disclosed suffering from ptsd encountered ignorance and bias, which led to society's misconception of the disease.
- Analyzes how ptsd affects a person's life, including incapability to relax, increased aggression, relationship difficulties, drug abuse, major depression, flashbacks, insomnia, and decreased sexual satisfaction.
- Opines that treating ptsd is important, but it is vital to take measures preventing it. however, most prevention techniques lack reliable evidence proving success.
- Opines that ptsd has functional consequences on soldiers affected by the illness, which includes a troubling rate of suicide among veterans.
- Analyzes canzano, a. soldier gives hopeful message for others with ptsd on 4th of july.
- Explains paolillo, j. d., the effect of post traumatic stress disorder on veteran soldiers’ mental health.
- Analyzes tworus, szymanska, and ilnicki's treatment of soldiers suffering from ptsd.
- Explains that post-traumatic stress disorder is caused by severe stress and anxiety. the correlation between soldiers and ptsd is defined by the negative experience of combat.
- Explains paollio's findings that cognitive-behavioral therapy, exposure therapy and psychotherapy can be used to treat clients with ptsd.
1468 wordsRead More - Military: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorderexplanatory essayMilitary PTSD: Reasons and Methods Used to Help Troops Cope For the past decade, the United States of America has been a participant in an ongoing war, sending military troops for combat in many areas throughout the globe. Due to the ongoing events overseas, troops are subject to serve multiple tours, forcing some to return to combat shortly after their arrival back to the United States. After arriving home from their served tours, military troops often find themselves in a constant battle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD), is an anxiety disorder resulting from a life threatening traumatic event.
In this essay, the author
- Explains the purpose of this study, which is to identify the reasons troops suffer from ptsd and the methods the military, va, and community-based treatment facilities are using to diminish the effects.
- Explains the purpose of this study, which is to identify the reasons troops suffer from ptsd and the methods the military, va, and community-based treatment facilities are using to diminish the effects.
- Describes cesur, sabia, j.j., tekin, e. the psychological costs of war: military combat and summary
- Explains sharpless, b. a., and barber, j. p. (2011), a clinician's guide to ptsd treatments for returning.
- Explains that military troops suffer from ptsd due to traumatic exposure during combat and sexual assault.
- Explains that the military, va, and community-based treatment facilities are using psychopharmacology and psychotherapy to help troops with ptsd.
1335 wordsRead More - The Effects of PTSD on Familiesanalytical essayPosttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that posttraumatic stress disorder (ptsd) develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical damage.
- Defines ptsd as mental health disorder triggered by a terrifying event. it can affect rape victims, terrorists, nurses, doctors, police, fire personnel, and bystanders.
- Explains that ptsd affects the person involved in the incident, but new research shows it can have harmful impacts on families as well.
- Analyzes how the symptoms of ptsd can be projected onto families, such as a happy person, and people with mental health disorders.
- Opines that women are more susceptible to ptsd than men, since they're more open to talking about their feelings.
- Explains that people who choose this type of work, are very good at compartmentalization. they store memories in different compartments of their brain.
- Explains that ptsd affects children because of low family cohesion and veteran's emotional unavailability, rage outbursts, difficulties in establishing or maintaining attachment, and many other dysfunctions. this implies the interpersonal nature of trauma and may explain the influence of veteran posttraumatic stress disorder on the child’s development.
- Cites mayoclinic's diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/definition/con-20022540, nimh.nih
921 wordsRead More - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorderexplanatory essayGrowing up in a military atmosphere has its pros and cons. As a child of a parent who was in the military, specifically the Marines, I had seen Irritability, difficulty of sleeping, flash-backs, outburst of anger, and feeling detached, but not of me but of my father. These symptoms are some of the signs of post-traumatic stress disorder or known as PTSD. Having a family member suffering from PTSD has a toll on every individual in the family, in their own unique ways. In my experience, I had many conflicts with my father, that had lead me to find the best solution to prevent our conflicts between each other. One of the best ways to prevent more stress towards the individual with PTSD and to support the individual the best way possible is to research, understand, and learn coping skills for PTSD. This is why I want to know more about Post-traumatic stress disorder.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that growing up in a military environment has its pros and cons. ptsd affects every individual in the family, in their own unique ways.
- Explains that ptsd is a psychiatric disorder of an individual experiencing or witnessing an event.
- Explains that post-traumatic stress disorder is not only a result of combat exposure or military experiences but can also be caused by traumatic events such as rape, being kidnapped, child abuse, car accident, natural disasters, mugging, and torture
- Explains that ptsd symptoms can be re-experiencing, avoidance, numbing, and arousal, depending on the person.
- Explains that post-traumatic stress disorder affects 8 percent men and 20 percent women. it is important to understand ptsd and to mistake it by fear of a person who has the condition.
- Cites merriam-webster's post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd). nimh rss. retrieved february 17, 2014.
661 wordsRead More - What´s Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?analytical essayRosen’s study, focused on the root cause of PTSD, showed that stress (major anxiety or nightmares) shown by soldiers before sent into deployment lessened or deliquesced in 13% of soldiers (Herbert 2). Additionally, those that did develop severe PTSD had suffered emotional problems prior to deploy-ment—especially child-hood abuse or exposure to violence.
In this essay, the author
- Explains rosen's study, focused on the root cause of ptsd, showed that stress (major anxiety or nightmares) shown by soldiers before deployment lessened or deliquesced in 13% of soldiers.
- Explains that post-traumatic stress disorder is a priority of psychological researchers. ptsd is often characterized by disruptions in sleep patterns and ambiguous aspects.
- Explains that anxiety and depression are often misdiagnosed as ptsd. since the vietnam war, the occurrence and diagnosis has skyrocketed.
- Explains that a magnetoenceph-elography (meg) could be the first of its kind to purvey biological evidence of ptsd in patients.
- Analyzes how rosen's study uncovered a hidden truth behind ptsd. though the dsm requires the experience of traumatic events, it can be found in many forms and is yet to be fully understood.
846 wordsRead More - Motherhood in the Militaryanalytical essayMotherhood and the Acceptance of Mothers in the Military Being a mother in the military has always had controversy. Some believe that mothers should refrain from this violence and stay in civilian life to raise her child, while others believe that it’s a woman’s right to choose this career. Kara Dixon Vuic’s article “ “I’m afraid we’re going to have to just change our ways”: Marriage, Motherhood, and Pregnancy in the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War” examines female nurses in the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam war who helped pave the way for wives and mothers to be more integrated into the Army. In comparison, Michelle L. Kelley’s (et al.) article “Navy Mothers Experiencing and Not Experiencing Deployment: Reasons for Staying in or Leaving the Military,” is a survey on the many reasons why navy mothers would chose to leave or stay in the army.
In this essay, the author
- Compares kara dixon vuic's article "i'm afraid we're going to have to just change our ways" with michelle l. kelley'
- Explains vuic's main purpose for this article was to present a chronological study on how the army struggled to incorporate new changes for wives and mothers during the vietnam war.
- Analyzes how kara dixon vuic's research focuses on the history of gender and sexuality, and social and cultural history. her research was funded by the u.s. army center of military history.
- Analyzes vuic's thesis that the army struggled to incorporate the acceptance of motherhood and marriage in their policies.
- Analyzes how michelle l kelley and her team of psychologists interviewed 71 navy mothers with young children, before and after a planned deployment.
- Explains michelle l kelley's research focuses on parenting and the effects of deployment on navy families. the research was funded by the u.s. army medical research and materiel command.
- Opines that kelley's data is difficult to take as credible because the mothers were not allowed to give their own answers.
- Analyzes how kelley's study has limitations, such as no female officers in their group and a small percentage of women, which diminish the credibility of their survey.
- Analyzes how kelley and vuic demonstrate to the reader that women had agency to change their futures within the military.
- Opines that vuic and kelley support the expansion of women in the military.
- Compares the navy and army nurse corps articles, which have similar themes and arguments, but are substantially different. both articles are from different disciplines.
- Opines that viuc's primary sources include newspaper articles and government documents, which overpower the government document.
- Explains that kelley only has psychological theories and research as secondary sources. her findings are the primary sources if they were cited in another article.
- Concludes that the articles "i'm afraid we're going to have to just change our ways" and "navy mothers experiencing and not exploiving deployment: reasons for staying in or leaving the military" contribute to a better understanding of motherhood in the military.
1518 wordsRead More - Treatment Programs for Post Tramautic Stress Disorderexplanatory essayPosttraumatic Stress Disorder is the persistent re-experiencing of a traumatic event via distressing intrusive thoughts, dreams, and reliving of the events. It causes detachment of others, inability to have intimate feelings such as love, no expectation for a normal life span, career, marriage, or children. Individuals who fully understand war are the ones who have actually experienced it and developing PTSD from combat can change an individual’s life indefinitely. Doctors, lawyers, social workers, therapists, friends, or family members will never understand what a soldier has experienced without taking part in this traumatic event themselves. There are a large percentage of men and women who have experienced some type of trauma while serving in the military, and evidence-based treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder includes Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and Prolonged Exposure. Natural supports are fundamental to a service member’s recovery from PTSD as well.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that posttraumatic stress disorder is the persistent re-experiencing of a traumatic event via distressing intrusive thoughts, dreams, and replaying of the events. individuals who understand war are the ones who have experienced it.
- Explains that posttraumatic stress disorder can occur after one has been through a trauma. the effects of combat stress injuries are individualized, and many combat veterans will not experience ptsd.
- Explains that eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (emdr) incorporates elements of exposure therapy with eye movements or other forms of rhythmic, left-right stimulation.
- Explains that prolonged exposure (pe) is the most extensively studied psychotherapy for ptsd and is effective in reducing symptoms of depression, anger, and anxiety in trauma survivors.
- Explains the importance of family support for military personnel and war veterans. ptsd can put a strain on family and friend relationships because they experience issues such as sympathy, negative feelings, avoidance, depression, anger, and guilt.
- Explains that ptsd is a risk factor for suicide, and the number of warriors with it has increased exponentially as the war has passed.
- Opines that the best bet for recovery for individuals with ptsd is evidence-based treatment because it is known to work.
- Explains the 2005 department of defense survey of health related behaviors among active duty military personnel: a component of the defense lifestyle assessment program (dlap).
- Explains foa, hembree, and rothbaum, prolonged exposure therapy for ptsd.
- Opines that pryce, j. g., d.h. and schackelford, k.k. (2012), the costs of courage: combat stress.
- Explains that the department of defense task force on mental health is based in falls church, va.
1476 wordsRead More - Children Should be Taught About the Consequences of Waranalytical essayFritz, Gregory K. "Let's Consider the Mental Health Impact on the Children of War Veterans." Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter 26.11 (2010): 8. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Jan. 2014
In this essay, the author
- Argues that american children should be educated more about the psychological trauma that co-exists with foreign wars. the violence of the war spreads through the nation, having a major affect on the children.
- Explains that more than two-million children have been affected by their parent’s ptsd. combat-related stress disorders were first recognized as distinct psychological disorders in 1980.
- Argues that american children should have an understanding about war because it gives them insight on war based knowledge. soldiers live in consent distress because of the traumatic events they witnessed and it affects the children around them.
- Opines that military suicides are a growing problem in the united states.
- Explains that america carries a lot of financial debt for the wars with iraq and afghanistan. the veterans that survive have to deal with the financial struggle when they home.
- Explains that the value of lives lost adds $44.6 billion to the cost of the wars.
- Argues that american children should be aware of the emotional trauma and financial burden that is associated with war. the soldiers that return are adults, and they return with their minds completely shattered.
- Explains that mtbi injuries would range from $591 million to $910 million dollars. tax payers end up paying for the consequence of war.
- Explains fritz, gregory k., "let's consider the mental health impact on the children of war veterans." brown university child & adolescent behavior letter 26.11 (2010): 8.
- Explains that shirley jett combat-related blast-induced neurotrauma: a public health problem? nursing forum 45.4 (2010): 237-245.
- Explains the mental health impact of afghanistan and iraq deployment: meeting the challenge of a new generation of veterans.
864 wordsRead More - Substance abuse in veteransopinion essayWhen we picture the United States Military we regard men and women in uniform fighting for our country. However, what we do not picture is the hidden problems. Stress of the job, members returning home from war, and combat create an increased stress level that can result in abusing substances and cause behavioral problems. The military has recognized that this has become a problem and is now taking steps to ensure their members safety.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the military has recognized that this has become a problem and is now taking steps to ensure their members' safety.
- Explains that alcohol and smoking were huge problems in the military. their grandfather, who was a retired navy member, would tell them stories of him smoking while working.
- Explains that diagnosis of a substance use disorder or ptsd relies on clinical assessment using dsm criteria. screening instruments have been widely validated for alcohol use disorders.
- Explains that veterans hospitals can help with any mental or abuse problem. they offer therapy and medicine to assist someone in getting better.
- Explains that they grew up in a small coast guard town on the outer banks of north carolina, where 80% of their students are currently enlisted in the us military.
- Describes how they were influenced by their military community to put their boyfriend's career before theirs. the milso community glamorized military life and ignored pressing problems.
- Explains that as a social worker, they are taught how to identify with different populations of people. military friends politely told them to join the military, but the best advice was to use their military resources.
- Explains that the military has different chains of command, and each branch is called something different. they must implement the nasw code of ethics by understanding that their superior can have superior as well.
- Concludes that the military is a marginalized group in society because we count on them to protect us every day. the military has come up with many ways to get help.
966 wordsRead More