The sense of intimacy is essential for humans as it helps them to bond with others and establish meaningful connections that can provide a feeling of belongingness. It also enables people to express their emotions and communicate effectively with others. Veterans who have experienced traumatic events while serving in the military may find it challenging to maintain healthy relationships due to changes in their behavior, beliefs, and values.
Engaging in intimate activities such as kissing, cuddling, or having sex can help them restore normalcy in civilian life by providing comfort, support, and happiness. The following are some ways veterans utilize intimacy to regain balance:
1) Establishing trust and open communication with partners
When veterans return from deployment, they may struggle with trust issues, which can affect their ability to connect with others emotionally. Therefore, engaging in intimate activities such as holding hands, hugging, or cuddling with their partners helps build trust by creating a safe environment where both parties feel comfortable sharing thoughts and feelings without fear of rejection. They will gradually learn how to trust again through consistent acts of intimacy, leading to better mental and physical health.
2) Reconnecting with family members
Veterans may experience difficulties reconnecting with their families after being away for an extended period. Through sexual encounters with their partners, they can rekindle lost feelings of closeness, warmth, and affection, making them feel loved and appreciated. This process allows them to overcome isolation and loneliness, enabling them to become productive members of society once more.
3) Enhancing self-esteem and confidence
Intimacy builds self-confidence by allowing veterans to express themselves freely without judgement or criticism from their partner. When they know that someone cares about them deeply, it gives them the strength to face daily challenges confidently and handle stressful situations calmly. It also boosts self-esteem by reinforcing that they still have value despite what happened during deployment. In addition, positive sexual experiences can increase confidence levels further, helping veterans to feel attractive again and improve their overall wellbeing.
4) Reducing anxiety and depression symptoms
Intimacy reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression by providing comfort and relaxation.
When vets suffer from PTSD, engaging in erotic activities such as massages or kissing can help them cope with flashbacks and nightmares associated with traumatic memories. It helps lower blood pressure and heart rate while increasing serotonin production, reducing tension and anxiety.
5) Fostering emotional growth and healing
Sexual intimacy facilitates emotional growth by creating a safe space where individuals can explore their feelings without fear of being judged or rejected. Veterans learn how to communicate better through physical contact, which improves their relationships with others outside the bedroom too. This way, they gain insight into their needs, desires, and limitations, leading to personal growth and development over time.
Utilizing intimacy is an effective means for veterans to restore normalcy in civilian life after experiencing trauma during military service. By establishing trust, reconnecting with family members, enhancing self-confidence, reducing anxiety/depression symptoms, fostering emotional growth, and promoting healing processes, it enables them to lead healthy lives full of happiness, fulfillment, and purpose.
In what ways do veterans utilize intimacy as a means to restore a sense of normalcy in civilian life?
Intimacy is an essential part of maintaining healthy relationships with friends, family members, and romantic partners after returning from military service. Veterans can feel isolated and disconnected from their loved ones due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, depression, and hypervigilance.