What you can do
Recovering from the impacts of the losses you have experienced in service, and grieving those losses, takes time and often needs a combination of self-help, support from friends and family, and professional help.
It can be hard, especially as a Veteran or someone in active service, to reach out for and accept help.
The psychiatrist Carl Jung wisely said, “What you resist not only persists, but will grow in size." What he meant was that actively resisting something, like a negative emotion or a difficult situation, can make it stronger and more powerful.
See Your grief roadmap, a guide to help you navigate your way through your grief.
Strategies: What may help
- Try to show yourself the patience and understanding you might give to others who have been through what you have. Think about being your own best friend.
- Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings.
- Focus on your strengths and resilience.
- Make your physical health a priority to support your emotional well-being:
- Exercise produces endorphins and can change mood.
- See your family physician if you are unable to sleep.
- Learn deep breathing and relaxation exercises to help manage anxiety.
- Be involved in social activities and spend time with the people you care about.
- Tell your story to someone you trust.
- Find ways to protect yourself from people and situations that are not understanding and supportive by setting boundaries and limits.
- Recognize that there may be those who are more able to support you than others.
- Attend a peer support group with others who have experienced something similar.
- Explore creative and spiritual outlets (art, music, spiritual practice).
- Consider developing mindfulness meditation practices.
- Find and connect with a therapist or counsellor who has experience with trauma, loss and grief, and if needed, PTSD.