The United States Armed Forces are composed of people from all walks of life. Many soldiers experience challenges that affect their well-being and ability to perform military duties, including deployment for extended periods away from family members. Long-term deployment can be difficult for anyone, but it is especially hard for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) service members who must navigate complex social and emotional dynamics related to their identity and expression while serving abroad.
This article will explore the ways LGBT soldiers can preserve relational satisfaction during long-term deployments using coping strategies such as: 1. Establishing clear expectations with partners about communication frequency and topics discussed before departure, 2. Engaging in activities that promote mental and physical health while deployed, 3. Seeking support from peers or mental health professionals when needed, and 4. Maintaining positive attitudes towards relationships despite distance.
First Coping Strategy: Establish Clear Expectations Before Departure
Before leaving for deployment, establishing clear expectations between partners regarding communication frequency and topics discussed is crucial. This involves setting specific guidelines for how often each partner should reach out and what topics they can discuss without feeling pressure or stress. It may also involve agreeing on preferred methods of contact and times of day/night when both parties are available.
Second Coping Strategy: Engage in Activities Promoting Health
Engaging in activities promoting mental and physical health during deployment can help maintain connection and intimacy with partners back home. LGBT soldiers may engage in regular exercise or meditation practices, connect with other like-minded individuals virtually through group chats or video calls, or participate in events within their unit's community that foster camaraderie among troops. These activities provide distraction from loneliness and disconnection but still keep them connected with loved ones at home emotionally.
Third Coping Strategy: Seek Support When Needed
Seeking support from peers or mental health professionals when needed is another important strategy to preserve relational satisfaction during long-term deployments. Friends, family members, fellow service members, chaplains, therapists, or counselors offer a safe space where LGBT soldiers can express concerns about identity issues while abroad. Sharing these feelings helps alleviate stress related to isolation or fear of rejection due to sexuality/gender expression while away from home base.
Fourth Coping Strategy: Maintain Positive Attitudes Towards Relationships Despite Distance
Maintaining positive attitudes towards relationships despite distance requires focusing on the positives rather than negatives related to separation from partners back home. This includes remembering past memories together fondly, celebrating milestones such as anniversaries and birthdays virtually, sending small tokens of appreciation via mail or email regularly, and expressing gratitude for shared experiences even if they cannot be physically present. It also involves reminding oneself why one chose this career path so it doesn't feel like an impossibility without partner presence during deployment periods.
Preserving relational satisfaction among LGBT soldiers requires utilizing various coping strategies including establishing clear expectations before departure, engaging in activities promoting mental/physical health, seeking support when needed, and maintaining positive attitudes towards relationships despite distance. By implementing these tactics consistently throughout deployment cycles, LGBT troops will have better odds of building resilience against loneliness and disconnection caused by extended absences from loved ones back home.
Which coping strategies help LGBT soldiers preserve relational satisfaction during long-term deployments?
Research shows that LGBT soldiers can employ different strategies to maintain healthy relationships while on deployment for extended periods of time. Firstly, they can prioritize communication with their partners through regular check-ins and updates about daily activities. Secondly, LGBT soldiers should try to stay physically active by exercising regularly or engaging in other physical activities such as yoga or meditation.