Common Reactions
In reaction to current events in Afghanistan, Veterans may:
- Feel frustrated, sad, helpless, grief or
distressed
- Feel angry or betrayed
- Experience an increase in mental health symptoms
like symptoms of PTSD or depression
- Sleep poorly, drink more or use more drugs
- Try to avoid all reminders or media or shy away
from social situations
- Have more military and homecoming memories
Veterans may question the meaning of their service or
whether it was worth the sacrifices 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:
- Become overly protective, vigilant, and guarded
- Become preoccupied by danger
- Feel a need to avoid being shocked by, or
unprepared for, what may happen in the future
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 by 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:
- Engage in Positive Activities. Try to engage in positive, healthy, or meaningful
activities, even if they are small, simple actions. Doing things
that are rewarding, meaningful, or enjoyable, even if you don’t feel
like it, can make you feel better.
- Stay Connected. Spend time with people who give you a sense of
security, calm, or happiness, or those who best understand what you
are going through.
- Practice Good Self Care. Look for positive coping strategies that help you
manage your emotions. Listening to music, exercising, practicing
breathing routines, spending time in nature or with animals,
journaling, or reading inspirational text are some simple ways to
help manage overwhelming or distressing emotions.
- Stick to Your Routines. It can be helpful to stick to a schedule for when
you sleep, eat, work, and do other day-to-day activities.
- Limit Media Exposure. Limit how much news you take in if media coverage
is increasing your distress.
- Use a mobile app. Consider one of VA’s self-help apps (see https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/)
such as PTSD Coach which has tools that can help you deal with
common reactions like, stress, sadness, and anxiety. You can also
track your symptoms over time.
- PTSD Coach Online. A series of
online video coaches will guide you through 17 tools to help you
manage stress. PTSD Coach Online is used on a computer, rather than
a mobile device, and therefore can offer tools that involve writing.
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.
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