What is an emotional need? Emotions are feelings that arise from within an individual and can be expressed through various means such as facial expressions, gestures, body language, vocalizations, etc. These emotions have different intensities depending on their strength and impact.
Anger, fear, excitement, happiness, sadness, surprise, etc., all have varying degrees of intensity. When these emotions are expressed appropriately, they can help individuals communicate effectively with others around them.
When individuals suppress their emotions for a long time, it may lead to negative consequences. The military environment has been known to be high-intensity, which means there's constant pressure to stay calm under stressful situations. As such, soldiers often feel compelled to hold back their emotions, leading to suppression. Consequently, this can affect their mental health and overall wellbeing. This article will discuss the consequences of suppressed emotional needs in high-intensity military environments.
One of the significant consequences of suppressed emotions is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses. Soldiers who go into combat zones frequently suffer psychological trauma due to the intensity of the environment. They encounter situations where they experience death or violence daily, which causes them to detach themselves emotionally to survive.
They become numb to their feelings, making it difficult for them to process them properly. As a result, they begin to develop symptoms of PTSD, such as flashbacks, nightmares, and hypervigilance.
This can lead to substance abuse, social withdrawal, mood swings, suicidal thoughts, and relationship problems. These issues can also negatively impact their physical health, causing sleep disturbances, weight gain or loss, chronic pain, etc.
Another consequence is impaired decision-making ability. When soldiers suppress their emotions, they are more likely to make poor choices that compromise their safety or others' lives.
They may fail to report critical information about enemy positions, overlook warning signs of an ambush, etc., leading to casualties. This could be because they lack the courage to speak up or feel shame if something goes wrong afterward.
Suppression of emotions can affect communication skills, making it hard for them to build trust with fellow soldiers or commanders.
Suppressing emotions can harm relationships outside the military, leading to divorce, family disputes, financial struggles, and legal troubles. Emotional needs must be expressed appropriately to foster positive outcomes in all aspects of life.
What are the consequences of suppressed emotional needs in high-intensity military environments?
In high-intensity military environments, suppressing emotions can have significant consequences on both individual and collective levels. For individuals, it can lead to a range of negative mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts. It can also compromise personal relationships, communication skills, and job performance.