Long-Term Psychosexual Effects of Sexual Relationships Formed During Deployment
The psychological impacts of war can manifest themselves through different forms of mental illnesses such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders. War is often accompanied by situations that require soldiers to make choices that violate their moral codes and belief systems, which leads them to feel guilty or shameful about their actions. These experiences may also lead to feelings of detachment from others and the world around them, making it difficult for them to form close relationships later in life. This essay will focus on how these factors affect the long-term psychosexual effects of sexual relationships formed during deployment and its implications for those involved in such relationships.
When deployed, soldiers are exposed to various circumstances where they experience intense emotions, such as fear, stress, excitement, and danger, among other things. Under these conditions, they develop an intense attachment to one another due to the need for comfort and reassurance. The intensity of the relationship increases when they have sex while on duty. This bonding creates a strong emotional connection between the two parties, leading to romantic feelings that may be misinterpreted as love.
Once they return home, they begin to realize that they were just using each other for survival and comfort, and this realization causes them to withdraw from the relationship.
The sudden breakup of a sexual relationship may cause soldiers to experience depression and anxiety, which hinders their ability to form new ones. They might struggle with intimacy issues, trust problems, low self-esteem, and guilt.
They may become hypervigilant and mistrustful of others because they think all relationships involve exploitation and manipulation. As a result, they avoid relationships altogether or engage in casual encounters only.
Besides the mental health impacts, soldiers who experience trauma often suffer from physical injuries, such as brain damage and PTSD, that make it challenging to perform well sexually. Some soldiers may even lose interest in sex entirely due to the memories of their war experiences. On the contrary, some veterans seek out multiple partners, hoping to fill the void left by their broken relationship. Others use alcohol and drugs to numb themselves from the pain, resulting in risky sexual behaviors.
Sexual relationships formed during deployment can lead to long-term psychosexual effects that affect both parties involved. Soldiers need to understand the importance of forming healthy bonds outside of combat situations to improve their psychological well-being. They should also receive counseling to overcome traumatic experiences and work on healing their wounds before engaging in any romantic relationship.
What are the long-term psychosexual effects of sexual relationships formed during deployment?
Sexual relationships formed during deployment may lead to positive or negative effects on individuals' psychosexual development. On the one hand, deployment can create intense emotions, such as loneliness and separation anxiety, which can enhance feelings of intimacy and closeness between partners (Parker & Shackelford, 2017).