Married individuals face many challenges when they live far apart from each other due to military deployment. One such challenge is maintaining marital satisfaction and intimacy. Repeated deployment can cause long-term psychological effects on these couples that may impact their relationship negatively. This article will explore how repeated deployments affect marital satisfaction and intimacy in married couples and provide solutions for improving them.
Let's define what marital satisfaction means. Marital satisfaction is the level of happiness and fulfillment in a marriage. It involves emotional, physical, and intellectual connection between spouses. Intimacy refers to the closeness and trust between spouses. Both marital satisfaction and intimacy are essential for a healthy marriage. Repeated deployment creates obstacles for couples to maintain these qualities because it disrupts the routine and predictability of daily life. Spouses are often forced to adjust to new routines without their partner's presence and find ways to cope alone. This lack of predictability and reliance on others can create feelings of isolation and loneliness. In addition, repeated deployments may lead to anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can further damage marital satisfaction and intimacy.
To improve marital satisfaction during deployment, couples should prioritize communication. They must stay connected through regular phone calls, video chats, and emails. Couples should also set clear expectations about how much contact they need and plan activities together before deployment begins.
If one partner wants more frequent check-ins than another, they should discuss this openly so they don't feel unheard or neglected. Establishing rules around email and text messages can help couples establish healthy boundaries and avoid misunderstandings.
Couples should work on building trust while apart. Trust is crucial to intimacy, as it allows partners to be vulnerable and share personal thoughts and feelings. During deployment, married individuals should focus on being honest with each other, expressing gratitude, and practicing forgiveness. It would be best if couples also acknowledged the challenges that come with deployment and expressed empathy toward each other. Doing these things will build a foundation for stronger intimacy after reuniting.
Couples who want to maintain marital satisfaction and intimacy despite repeated deployments should consider counseling or therapy. A trained professional can provide support and guidance throughout the deployment process. They can also assist in resolving conflicts that arise due to distance or communication breakdowns. Therapists can teach coping skills to manage PTSD symptoms, anxiety, or depression.
Marriage education courses may teach practical strategies for improving relationship dynamics. By addressing long-term psychological effects of repeated deployment on marital satisfaction and intimacy, couples can strengthen their bond and improve the overall quality of their marriage.
What are the long-term psychological effects of repeated deployment on marital satisfaction and intimacy?
Repeated military deployments can have significant negative impacts on marital satisfaction and intimacy over time. According to research, couples who experience frequent separations due to deployment may become less satisfied with their relationships and more likely to experience conflict, feelings of loneliness and disconnection, and challenges maintaining healthy communication patterns (Frazier et al. , 2015; Riggs & Ryan, 2013).