As the situation in Afghanistan unfolds, we understand that many of our members are experiencing various reactions that are difficult to express and process. GSACEP stands with all our members. We honor your past and current service to our country. Veterans may question the meaning of their service of whether it was worth the sacrifices they made. You are not alone. Please note the following resources are available:
1. For Active Duty Servicemembers: Military One Source
2. For Veterans: Call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 or text 838255
3. Physician Support Line (staffed by psychiatrists): 1-888-409-0141
Common Reactions
In reaction to current events in Afghanistan, veterans may:
Veterans may question the meaning of their service or whether it was worth the sacrifices that they made. They may feel more moral distress about experiences they had during their service.
Veterans may feel like they need to expect and/or prepare for the worst. For example, they may:
Feeling distress is a normal reaction to negative events, especially ones that feel personal. It can be helpful to let yourself feel those feelings rather than try to avoid them. Often, these feelings will naturally run their course. If they continue without easing up or if you feel overwhelmed y them, the suggestions below can be helpful.
Strategies for Managing Ongoing Distress
At this moment, it may seem like all is lost, like your service or your sacrifices were for nothing. Consider the ways that your service made a difference, the impact it had on others' lives or on your own life. Remember that now is just one moment in time and that things will continue to change.
It can be helpful to focus on the present and to engage in the activities that are most meaningful and valuable to you. Is there something you can do today that is important to you? This can be as an individual, a family member, a parent, or a community member. Something that is meaningful to you in regard to your work or your spirituality? Such activities won't change the past or the things you can't control, but they can help life feel meaningful and reduce distress, despite the things you cannot change.
It can also help to consider your thinking. Ask yourself if your thoughts are helpful to you right now. Are there ways you can change your thinking to be more accurate and less distressing? For example, are you using extreme thinking where you see the situation as all bad or all good? If so, try and think in less extreme terms. For example, rather than thinking "my service in Afghanistan was useless" consider instead "I Helped keep Afghanistan safe."
Finally, consider more general coping strategies that you may want to try including
If you develop your own ways of adapting to ongoing events and situations, you may gain a stronger sense of being able to deal with challenges, a greater sense of meaning or purpose, and an ability to mentor and support others in similar situations.