Soldiers experience physical and emotional challenges during combat operations. Physical injuries include broken bones, burns, gunshot wounds, and traumatic brain injury (TBI), among others. Emotional injuries include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma resulting from witnessing death and destruction. Sexual function is an essential part of most adult relationships. It helps people to bond emotionally, socially, and physically.
Some soldiers who return home with war injuries struggle with intimacy and sex. This article explains how they can maintain relational trust despite these difficulties.
How do soldiers cope with sexual dysfunction?
Many soldiers sustain physical injuries that affect their sexual function, such as damage to genitalia or nerves, impaired sensation, erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory problems, orgasmic pain or difficulty achieving orgasm, vaginal dryness, and reduced libido. These issues may occur due to blast injury, surgery, or other reasons. They also suffer psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, anger, guilt, isolation, shame, relationship conflict, and self-doubt. Talking about sex with a partner is difficult when they feel embarrassed, ashamed, unattractive, anxious, or unable to perform. The best approach to coping is honesty and open communication. Soldiers should tell their partners what has happened, explain their feelings, ask for understanding, and agree on solutions. Partners should be supportive, patient, accepting, nonjudgmental, and willing to experiment. Couples can explore different positions, try new activities, talk more often, set boundaries, seek professional help, and use humor.
How do couples deal with PTSD-related challenges?
PTSD symptoms are common in combat veterans. Common signs include hypervigilance, flashbacks, nightmares, insomnia, avoidance of reminders, irritability, aggression, hyperarousal, and emotional detachment. This condition affects the relationship because it causes mood swings, fear of intimacy, and low desire for closeness. It's crucial that both soldiers and partners get therapy if needed. Treatment includes medications like antidepressants, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, EMDR, and mindfulness techniques. CBT helps people reframe thoughts, challenge negative beliefs, change behaviors, and improve communication skills. Exposure therapy involves gradually facing feared situations until they no longer cause anxiety. Mindfulness teaches acceptance, awareness, breathing exercises, and relaxation. Relational trust improves when partners work together to manage PTSD symptoms. They can practice breathing together, take turns listening, share positive memories, schedule sex regularly, and engage in physical activity.
How do soldiers maintain relational trust after experiencing operational injuries that affect intimacy or sexual functioning?
Soldiers can experience physical and emotional challenges as a result of combat-related trauma. This may include difficulty with intimacy or sexual functioning, which can create tension in their relationships. To maintain relational trust despite these obstacles, it is essential for both partners to communicate openly about their needs and concerns and work together towards finding solutions that are mutually beneficial.