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Navy Spouse Seeks Mental Health Care through the MHS

Image of Military personnel in front of a helicopter. As a public affairs officer for the 402nd, I've had the opportunity to travel across the Indo-Pacific region documenting the 402nd's support of U.S. Army Pacific. The job is nothing short of wonderful, but it’s the Soldiers and civilians I work with that have made juggling a full-time job, extended separation from my husband, and my mental health needs manageable (Courtesy Photo).

I've spent the last ten years of my life living with a mental illness, but my first experience with a mental health crisis sits in my mind so clearly it feels like it could have happened yesterday.

I had just started my second year of college, I didn't get into a class I so badly wanted to take, and I broke down. I called my mom, but there wasn't much she could do. Neither of us understood the reaction I was having to a seemingly minor hiccup. Her intuition must've clicked in when she said, "Go to the health center and tell them you need to speak to a counselor. I am not hanging up this phone until you are with a counselor."

Looking back, that singular moment probably saved my life. And thus began my navigation in the world of mental health.

A stigma around mental health still very much exists in the world. At first I was embarrassed that I saw a therapist. I didn't want to be medicated the rest of my life. I just wanted to be "normal," whatever that is.

It took a few years and some wise advice from my sister before I stopped feeling ashamed and embraced the steps I needed to take in order to take care of myself. "If someone had a heart condition and needed medication, they would take it every day, how is this any different?"

I promised myself I would never switch my health insurance to TRICARE. By the time I married my husband, an active duty Sailor, I finally had the perfect therapist and the right combination of medication.

My depression and anxiety was manageable and I didn't want to mess with a good thing. After all, like many other new spouses, I had heard horror stories of how the military cared for behavioral health. I worried I wouldn't have access to a therapist of my choosing or medication I knew already worked for me, and would constantly hit walls when I needed care.

Fast forward four years, and switching my care to the military has been one of the best decisions for my mental health.

Military personnel posing for a picture with his family
As a new Navy spouse (center right at my husband's re-enlistment ceremony), I was very hesitant to seek care for my mental health from the Military Health System. Much to my surprise, being part of the military community really has done wonders to my mental health. The care I receive from my local military clinic is better than I ever expected it to be (Courtesy Photo).

Being part of the military community really has done wonders to my mental health. The care I receive from my local military clinic is better than I ever expected it to be. My primary care manager, therapist and psychiatrist all have access to my file with each other's notes, taking the stress out of getting care because I no longer have to constantly rehash my life story with every visit. I honestly feel like I'm receiving care as a whole person as opposed to doctors addressing one issue at a time without looking at the full picture.

This year's theme for Suicide Prevention Month, "Connect to Protect," resonates with me because it is the connections I have with the people around me that keep me going through my hardest days. It's taken a while, but I've learned it's not only okay to reach out when my symptoms increase, it's necessary in order to take care of myself. Being open and honest with myself and those around me about how I'm truly feeling makes the tough days a little more manageable.

While the traditional health care aspect of the military community continues to exceed expectations, it's the people I've met along the way who have helped me the most. Some of my best friends are military spouses. They don't judge me when I need a little extra love or assurance when I'm having a depressive episode. They check in on me when my husband is deployed or gone for training. Most importantly, they understand the unique situations that come with being in a military family.

Really, the same can be said about the people I work with. I've been a Department of the Army Civilian for a year now. I love my job, plain and simple, but it's the soldiers and civilians I work with that have made juggling a full-time job, extended separation from my husband, and my mental health needs manageable.

Some people will never understand what it feels like to have such a disconnect between your logic and your emotions. But keeping those feelings close to you only makes them worse. It's been a long road but I've learned needing mental health care is nothing to be ashamed about.

It's not a secret to those around me that I see a therapist on a regular basis. I proudly take my medicine and share my experiences about it. I mean, can you really be best friends with someone if you haven't compared notes about what anxiety medicine works best for you?

It may sound like a talking point when the military says people are their number one priority, but it's been more than a box to check in my life.

Check in on the people you care about. Don't wait until someone is struggling. Let the people you love know they're on your mind. Not everyone is going to ask for help when they need it, and not everyone may know they need help. And if you are struggling with anything, no matter how trivial you think it is, don't let the fear of the stigma hold you back from accessing the resources you need.

Whether it be your spouse, best friend, battle buddy or even your commander, the people around you care.

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Social Media Graphic: Mental Health is Health (Option 12)

Infographic
4/21/2023
Mental Health is Health

The Military Health System has many resources available to help any service member, families, or veteran beneficiaries who are struggling with mental health challenges. Military families' lives are generally very different from others. Service members may be subject to frequent relocations, deployments, and stressful experiences due to combat and time away from their families. Families cope with additional stressors when their loved ones are deployed, managing family life on the home front. Traumatic events such as combat, assault, or disasters can have long-lasting negative effects like trouble sleeping, increased anger, nightmares, anxiety, and alcohol and drug abuse. These factors combined with changes we've experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic may weigh on many.

Social Media Graphic: Mental Health is Health (Option 13)

Infographic
4/21/2023
Mental Health is Health

The Military Health System has many resources available to help any service member, families, or veteran beneficiaries who are struggling with mental health challenges. Military families' lives are generally very different from others. Service members may be subject to frequent relocations, deployments, and stressful experiences due to combat and time away from their families. Families cope with additional stressors when their loved ones are deployed, managing family life on the home front. Traumatic events such as combat, assault, or disasters can have long-lasting negative effects like trouble sleeping, increased anger, nightmares, anxiety, and alcohol and drug abuse. These factors combined with changes we've experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic may weigh on many.

Social Media Graphic: Mental Health is Health (Option 14)

Infographic
4/21/2023
Mental Health is Health

The Military Health System has many resources available to help any service member, families, or veteran beneficiaries who are struggling with mental health challenges. Military families' lives are generally very different from others. Service members may be subject to frequent relocations, deployments, and stressful experiences due to combat and time away from their families. Families cope with additional stressors when their loved ones are deployed, managing family life on the home front. Traumatic events such as combat, assault, or disasters can have long-lasting negative effects like trouble sleeping, increased anger, nightmares, anxiety, and alcohol and drug abuse. These factors combined with changes we've experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic may weigh on many.

Social Media Graphic: Mental Health is Health (Option 15)

Infographic
4/21/2023
Mental Health is Health

The Military Health System has many resources available to help any service member, families, or veteran beneficiaries who are struggling with mental health challenges. Military families' lives are generally very different from others. Service members may be subject to frequent relocations, deployments, and stressful experiences due to combat and time away from their families. Families cope with additional stressors when their loved ones are deployed, managing family life on the home front. Traumatic events such as combat, assault, or disasters can have long-lasting negative effects like trouble sleeping, increased anger, nightmares, anxiety, and alcohol and drug abuse. These factors combined with changes we've experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic may weigh on many.

Aerospace Medicine Branch Enhances Airmen Psychological Performance

Article Around MHS
4/14/2023
From left: Aeromedical and Operational Clinical Psychology, or AOCP, branch members Dr. Ivan Colin-Rivera, Lt. Col. Kristen Galloway, Dr. Rachael Martinez, Tech. Sgt. Christopher Thompson and Somtirtha Bag at a team event in the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, at High Bay at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.  (Photo by Jeremy Ward, U.S. Air Force)

The office of Aeromedical Operational and Clinical Psychology, or AOCP, offers aerospace and operational clinical consultation for units throughout the U.S. Air Force and has done so for over a decade.

Austin Presses Ahead with Recommendations from Suicide Prevention Committee

Article Around MHS
3/27/2023
Suicide Prevention_NATMHS

Months of research and planning ways to prevent suicide in the military comes to fruition. Find out about phase one of the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee's recommendations to promote the wellness, health, and morale of military personnel.

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Continues Expanding Mental Health Options in Pilot Program’s Second Year

Article Around MHS
2/10/2023
Naval Branch Health Clinic Bahrain sign at Naval Support Activity Bahrain

A two-year pilot program expanding mental health treatment options for military and family members hit its halfway mark. Find out how it's been successful so far, and what's next in advancing services to warfighters and their families experiencing acute mental health problems.

Equine Therapy Reduces Staff Stress and Anxiety at Military Hospital

Article
1/25/2023
Military personnel poses with miniature horse

Not all facility animals are dogs. Mini-horses help reduce staff stress at Naval Medical Center San Diego.

Mixed Messages Can Fuel Stigma, Prevent Soldiers from Accessing Behavioral Health Care

Article Around MHS
12/16/2022
Army Public Health infographic

Emphasis on physical readiness and injury rehabilitation is paramount in the military. But what about warfighters' mental health care? See how Soldiers and leaders are reducing obstacles - especially negative stigmas - that prevent others from seeking help.

Service Dog Helps a Colonel Fight the Battles Back Home

Article Around MHS
12/16/2022
U.S. Air Force Col. Adam Roberts with his service dog, Porche

A soldier's 23-year struggle with mental resiliency, the horror of combat, and personal challenges prompt him (with the help of a lovable labradoodle) to advocate for better awareness and treatment of mental health.

Older Adults and Mental Health

Video
12/12/2022
Older Adults and Mental Health

Mental health often goes undiagnosed in older adults.

Service Members and Mental Health

Video
12/12/2022
Service Members and Mental Health

TRICARE covers mental health services, including telehealth.

Mental Health: Loved Ones

Infographic
12/12/2022
Graphic of an adult and her parents. Links to www.tricare.mil/mentalhealth with the TRICARE logo on the bottom right.

Is a loved one struggling with mental health? Learn more at www.tricare.mil/mentalhealth.

Mental Health: Need to Talk?

Infographic
12/12/2022
Graphic of a person speaking with a therapist, with a header stating: “Need someone to talk to about mental health?” Links to www.tricare.mil/mentalhealth. The TRICARE logo is on the bottom right.

Need someone to talk to about mental health? Learn more at www.tricare.mil/mentalhealth.

Mental Health: All Ages

Infographic
12/12/2022
Graphic showing a family of all ages. Header states that mental health matters at all ages. On the bottom, there is a link to www.tricare.mil/mentalhealth and the TRICARE logo is on the bottom right.

Mental health matters at all ages. Learn more at www.tricare.mil/mentalhealth.

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Last Updated: August 04, 2022
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