Soldiers are often required to deploy for extended periods of time, which can cause stress and anxiety for their partners. These partners may experience secondary trauma, such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and relationship difficulties. Relational communication strategies are essential for maintaining healthy relationships during and after deployment.
These strategies must be adapted to meet the unique needs of partners experiencing secondary trauma. This article will discuss how soldiers can adapt their relational communication strategies to better support their partners who have experienced secondary trauma due to deployment.
The first strategy is active listening. Soldiers should make an effort to understand their partner's thoughts and feelings. Active listening involves paying attention to nonverbal cues, asking clarifying questions, and acknowledging emotions.
If your partner has been feeling anxious about your upcoming deployment, you could say "I hear that you're feeling anxious" or "It sounds like you're having trouble sleeping." You could also ask them what specific things they're worried about or express concern for their wellbeing. By actively listening, you demonstrate empathy and understanding, helping your partner feel heard and validated.
Another strategy is validation. Validation involves acknowledging your partner's experiences and recognizing their emotional state.
You might say "That must have been difficult" or "You must feel scared right now." This shows that you care about their feelings and understand their perspective. It helps create a sense of connection and mutual respect in the relationship.
Open-ended questions can also help improve relational communication during and after deployment. Instead of asking closed-ended questions that require only yes/no answers, try open-ended questions that invite more detail and conversation.
Instead of "Are you okay?" you could ask "What are you feeling right now?" This allows your partner to share their experiences and emotions without being pressured into giving a simple answer.
Empathy is another essential strategy for relational communication with partners who have experienced secondary trauma due to deployment. Empathy means putting yourself in someone else's shoes and trying to understand how they feel. When your partner shares something that upsets them, acknowledge their experience by saying something like "That must be hard" or "I can see why that would make you feel upset." This shows that you care about their feelings and want to support them through this challenging time.
Soldiers should practice self-care to maintain healthy relationships during and after deployment. Self-care includes things like exercise, relaxation techniques, social activities, and hobbies. By taking care of yourself, you can better support your partner and manage stress levels. You may also need to seek professional help if your partner is experiencing significant mental health issues related to their deployment.
Adapting relational communication strategies is crucial for supporting partners who have experienced secondary trauma due to deployment. Active listening, validation, empathy, and open-ended questions are all effective strategies for improving communication and connection.
Practicing self-care can help you stay emotionally and mentally healthy so you can provide the best support possible for your partner.
How do soldiers adapt relational communication strategies to partners who have experienced secondary trauma due to deployment?
Soldiers may develop relational communication strategies to support their partners experiencing secondary trauma after deployment. These include actively listening to the partner's concerns, validating their feelings and experiences, avoiding blaming or dismissing their emotions, offering empathy and understanding, and providing reassurance and comfort.