The following are effective techniques to restore emotional connection between partners affected by trauma:
1. Communication: Couples can try communication exercises like active listening, mirroring, and validation to improve their understanding of each other's thoughts and feelings. This helps build trust and reduce misunderstandings that may arise from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms such as hypervigilance and avoidance.
2. Time Together: Spending quality time together, whether it be through shared hobbies or simply talking, can help rebuild emotional closeness after combat-related moral injury. It is important for both partners to make an effort to engage with one another regularly and show interest in each other's lives outside of PTSD triggers.
3. Grounding Techniques: Couples can practice grounding techniques, which involve focusing on present sensations, thoughts, and emotions to bring them back into the moment. This can help prevent flashbacks and provide a sense of safety during intimate moments.
4. Physical Touch: Holding hands, cuddling, and kissing are all ways to physically connect and express love and support. Touch can also be healing for people who have experienced physical trauma due to their service in the military.
5. Therapy: Seeking professional help from a therapist specializing in couples counseling or PTSD treatment can help address issues unique to post-combat relationships. These sessions can provide space for open dialogue, conflict resolution, and healthy coping strategies.
6. Support Systems: Creating a support network of friends, family members, or veteran groups can offer additional emotional and practical support for those experiencing combat-related moral injury. This network can act as a safe haven where individuals can share experiences and receive encouragement.
7. Self-Care: Engaging in self-care practices like exercise, meditation, and journaling can improve mood and reduce symptoms of PTSD. This helps create a positive environment for relationship building and provides partners with tools to manage stressors outside of the home.
8. Empathy: Understanding one another's struggles and being patient with each other's needs is crucial for rebuilding trust and connection. Showing empathy towards each other's experiences can increase feelings of closeness and strengthen the bond between partners.
These techniques work together to help couples overcome challenges posed by combat-related moral injury: Combining these techniques creates an effective plan to restore intimacy and trust in the relationship after combat-related moral injury. By practicing active listening, spending quality time together, using grounding techniques, expressing love through touch, seeking professional help, creating a support system, engaging in self-care, and showing empathy towards each other, couples affected by trauma can build resilience and strengthen their bonds.
What strategies help couples rebuild emotional closeness after one partner experiences combat-related moral injury?
Couples can rebuild their emotional closeness by following certain strategies. One strategy is to focus on active listening. The affected partner should share their feelings with their partner without interruption and listen carefully to what they have to say. Active listening involves giving full attention to the other person while acknowledging their thoughts and feelings. Another strategy is to practice open communication, which involves sharing information freely and honestly with each other. This helps build trust and understanding between partners.