How do soldiers manage relational conflicts when prior deployment experiences have reduced their tolerance for emotional expression is a significant question that demands comprehensive analysis to understand how it affects them in relationships. The answer lies in understanding what these experiences are, why they reduce tolerance for emotional expression, and ways to resolve the problem. Deployment experiences refer to situations where military personnel serve outside their home country for an extended period. These deployments can be stressful and traumatic because they involve working under dangerous conditions that may lead to death, injury, or mental health issues.
Deployments cause soldiers to experience psychological trauma which makes them less expressive and less likely to show emotions such as joy, excitement, happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, frustration, disappointment, etc. This phenomenon affects their social lives since they cannot communicate freely and share feelings with loved ones back home. In other words, they become introverted and less responsive emotionally. Such individuals find it difficult to maintain intimate relationships since they lack the ability to communicate effectively or show love adequately. As a result, they may struggle to express themselves in relationships, creating conflict.
There are effective methods of resolving this issue through therapy, counseling, and medication.
Therapy involves sessions between the soldier and a trained professional who helps the patient identify and address the root causes of their reduced tolerance for emotional expression. The therapist uses various techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, and eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR) to help the individual overcome negative thoughts, beliefs, and memories associated with deployment experiences. During therapy, the soldier also learns how to manage emotions better by practicing self-control, mindfulness, and emotional regulation skills.
Counseling entails similar principles as therapy but focuses on relational conflict resolution instead of introspection. Counselors use behavior modification strategies such as active listening, positive reinforcement, problem-solving, communication training, and role-playing exercises to enable soldiers to improve their interpersonal skills in conflict situations. They teach them to recognize conflicts early, understand perspectives from both sides, avoid blaming each party involved, and come up with mutually beneficial solutions.
Medication is an alternative method of managing relational conflict when prior deployment has reduced tolerance for emotional expression. Antidepressants can be prescribed to treat depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health conditions that may cause impaired emotional functioning. Drugs like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increase serotonin levels in the brain, which regulates mood and reduces symptoms of depression. Other drugs include antipsychotic medications, anticonvulsants, and beta blockers that reduce anxiety, panic attacks, and physical symptoms of stress.
How do soldiers manage relational conflict when prior deployment experiences have reduced their tolerance for emotional expression?
Soldiers who have experienced multiple deployments may experience decreased tolerance for emotional expression due to traumatic events they witnessed during their service, such as combat exposure, which can lead to difficulty expressing emotion in intimate relationships (Hirsch et al. , 2015). This may impact how they interact with loved ones and create challenges in maintaining healthy communication within their relationships.