Exhale: A Blog for Women’s Mental & Emotional Health
Military families are no strangers to sacrifice. They kiss their service members goodbye for long deployments and live through frequent moves, leaving behind familiar places, friends, and family. Relocating every few years can especially take an emotional toll on children, disrupting their sense of stability and security while creating logistical and practical challenges for parents.
Tricare, the health insurance program that provides coverage to active duty and retired military members, their families, and survivors, covers a variety of benefits, including mental health care. This includes online therapy, a great option for those who live in rural areas like Panama City or Ocala have schedules that don’t accommodate traditional in-person therapy, or military families who relocate often.
Frequently a challenge for military families who are uprooted is the lack of a support system for the parents and children. In such times of distress, kids might reach out to seemingly unlikely peers and trusted adults with questions, seeking advice, or for connection. It’s smart to talk with the people in your child’s life and explain what’s happening so they can help monitor any changes in behavior or mood and give additional support to your child.
From there, your family can do several things to prepare for an upcoming deployment or find a sense of normalcy and peace during one. Here are 4 tips for how to help your children cope with your spouse’s deployment
Sure, it makes sense. You shared a deep connection and life before children entered the picture but now, it’s exhausting to even get through the tasks of the day without having to worry about cultivating your relationship. Shouldn’t it just be fine on auto-pilot for a while until you get through this stage of parenting?
The reality is that it’s not just this stage of parenting you need to get through. Raising kids is at least an 18-year commitment and there’s no way a partnership, no matter how strong the foundation, can sit on a shelf for that long. The same is true for your friendships and your own self so don’t put those on the backburner either.
For many military spouses, the holidays can be filled with navigating various challenges. Whether you recently moved to your base, your spouse is deployed overseas, or your hundreds or thousands of miles away from your family, the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's can feel isolating and lonely. While the rest of the world seems to be celebrating, you may be finding yourself filled with grief over the loss of home, place, and family.
For anyone not in the military, it may sound cliche when someone says, “When the service member serves in the military, the whole family serves.” But for those of us who are family members of an active-duty service member, we know that this saying actually rings true. As the spouse of a service member, we may not serve on the front lines, but we make lots of sacrifices in support of our spouses’ duties and responsibilities.
If you have Tricare Prime benefits, it makes sense to see an in-network Tricare provider as it would not cost you anything to see a counselor and you wouldn’t need a referral. But if you aren’t able to find an in-network provider with any openings, there is another option for you to receive therapy services.
The last couple weeks have been filled with worldwide tension as Russia invaded Ukraine. We have watched in horror and sadness as the Ukrainian people have fled from their homes and been separated from their family, friends, and loved ones, but also united together to protect their homeland. And while our hearts are breaking for the people of Ukraine, many military spouses’ anxieties and worries are running high for their own reasons. Military conflict has a way of stirring up our fears because of the unknowns of what the conflict may mean for our own families. If you are a military spouse and are feeling anxious and triggered by the invasion of Ukraine, that is completely understandable.
The holidays can be challenging for many people – it is a time of year filled with celebration, but with that celebration comes reminders of things that are now different or people who are no longer with us. The holiday season can be a dichotomy of happiness and sadness at the same time. If you are a military spouse, the holidays can be extra challenging for a variety of reasons.
If you are someone who has Tricare for health insurance, you know first-hand that navigating the world of Tricare can often be confusing and frustrating. While Tricare provides great benefits for military members and their dependents, it can be really annoying trying to figure out what Tricare will and will not cover – and this is speaking as someone who has Tricare and also takes Tricare insurance in their online therapy practice!
One of the most common questions that has been asked many times throughout the COVID-19 pandemic is “Does Tricare cover online therapy?” And here’s the answer: Yes!
For most families, the summer months are a time of vacation and relaxed schedules. But in the world of military families, the summer months are known as “PCS season.” A Permanent Change of Station (PCS) is most definitely not a stress-free time. Having PCS’d several times – and being currently neck-deep in the midst of one! – I know first-hand the amount of overwhelm, exhaustion, and anxiety that can come from a military move.
Choosing to reach out to a therapist can be a really hard thing to do. When you’re at the point of seeking counseling, it’s often when you are not feeling your best. You may be experiencing anxiety after having a brand new baby, deep sadness after the loss of a friend, or a sense of emptiness due to ongoing life transitions and changes. Taking the step to reach out to a therapist and say, “I need help” is an amazing first step toward caring for your mental and emotional health. But, when you live in a small town, it can be hard to find the mental health support you are looking for in your area. Online therapy is an amazing option for women with anxiety in rural Louisiana.
One health care benefit that’s often misunderstood is behavioral and mental health services. Especially Tricare coverage for those services when you access them online. Having access to emotional support is very important for military spouses. Military life has constant ups and downs and can take a real toll on your emotional well-being. Talking with a therapist can help you learn how to cope with whatever you are facing. And online therapy provides women, especially military spouses, the support they need to thrive.
Follow on Social Media @AshleyComegysLCSW
