Veterans experience traumas such as combat, death, injury, sexual assault, and prolonged stress during military service that can impact their mental health and social functioning. Trauma exposure affects veterans' sexual and relational scripts that are formed before and after deployment. These scripts inform how they perceive themselves and others, form interpersonal relationships, and express sexual desires and behaviors. When trauma disrupts these scripts, veterans may face psychological adjustments to regain normalcy.
Scripts refer to unconscious rules guiding behavior, perception, and attitudes toward others and self. They arise from life experiences and cultural norms. Veterans' predeployment scripts involve gender roles, family values, education, religion, and personal beliefs. Postdeployment scripts emerge through coping mechanisms, traumatic incidents, and PTSD symptoms.
A veteran may be hypervigilant towards intimate partners due to past betrayals or sexual abuse in combat.
Trauma exposure alters veterans' cognitive processes, emotional expression, sexual responses, and relationship patterns. Cognitively, they may experience flashbacks, confusion, or anxiety when recalling traumatic events. Emotionally, they may feel numbness, arousal, or avoidance of intimacy. Sexually, they may experience sexual dysfunctions like erectile dysfunction or lack of desire. Relationally, they may struggle with trust issues, distance, anger, or dependency.
Adjusting to new scripts requires conscious effort on the part of veterans and their partners/family members. Firstly, veterans must identify and acknowledge their changed perceptions of themselves and others. This involves being aware of triggers (flashbacks, intrusive thoughts) that activate negative scripts. Secondly, they must communicate openly about their needs and boundaries. Thirdly, they need to seek professional support for healing trauma-related distress, such as therapy or couples counseling.
To adjust relational scripts, veterans should recognize old patterns and develop positive ones.
They can set healthy boundaries by expressing feelings without guilt or blame. They can also practice communication skills like active listening, empathy, and assertiveness. Lastly, they can cultivate mutual understanding and appreciation through shared interests and hobbies.
What psychological adjustments are necessary when trauma disrupts veterans' previously established sexual and relational scripts?
Researchers have found that veterans who experience trauma during their military service often struggle with maintaining healthy romantic relationships because of the disruption to their existing sexual and relational scripts (Renner et al. , 2019). These scripts can be thought of as guides for how one interacts with others in social situations, including sexually and relationally, which develop from childhood through adulthood based on personal experiences.