Counseling Services
Resources For Returning War Veterans
Challenges Transitioning to Civilian
Life
The U.S. military spends enormous amounts of time and money
preparing military personnel for war but correspondingly very little of these
resources preparing them to return to civilian life. When service members
finish their tour of duty and return home, the transitions that they must
negotiate include:
- Military
personnel to civilian
- Danger
to safety
- Discomfort
to comfort
- Camaraderie
to solitude
- Mistrust
to trust
- Chaos
to order
- Lawlessness
to law
As much as service members eagerly anticipate this
transformation, negotiating the change is not always easy. The sheer number of
transitions from war to peace makes the hope of quickly reassuming a normal lifestyle
somewhat unrealistic, and for many, a successful change in role takes
considerable effort and time.
A particular challenge facing a returning war veteran is the
need to put aside the 'survival mode' which was critical in the war zone and
may have become a central feature of their identity. Among the perspectives,
attitudes, and behaviors that are highly valued in combat are:
- Heightened
arousal.
- Being
on constant alert for danger.
- Narrowed
attention and focus.
- A
risk-oriented appraisal of events.
- Not
trusting people.
- Making
quick, unilateral decisions.
- Expecting
others to obey directives without question.
- Sticking
to a "mission" no matter what.
- Reacting
quickly and asking questions later.
- Keeping
emotions sealed off.
While having obvious survival value in combat, this
'battlemind' style is typically highly maladaptive and self-defeating when
applied to civilian life. For example, aggressive, split-second decision-making
and action are vital in a firefight, but similar actions back home can easily fall
under the categories of disorderly conduct, assault, and domestic abuse. At the
same time, war veterans have a hard time letting go of these habits that once
served to keep them alive and unharmed.
Resource: James Madison University Counseling Center for Returning War Veterans
