4. WARS MISSION STATEMENT:
Women and Relationship Solutions is a mental health
program that focuses on helping, educating, encouraging
and developing (HEED) African American women who
require attention and care when faced with the hardships
that come with being a partner to a military
personnel/veteran who is suffering from Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD), Alcohol and/or Drug Abuse,
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or Secondary PTSD that
they themselves may be experiencing.
Women and Relationship Solutions offers a national
network of volunteers capable of responding to both
and chronic conditions that arise within our society, by
providing complimentary and confidential psychotherapy
therapy for loved ones and the community.
5. RELATIONAL COMPLICATIONS:
• Military life, deployment or return to civilian life
• Difficulty in communicating or making decisions
• Disconnection and emotional distance
• Anger and aggression
• Lost of interest for pleasure and life
6. WHAT CAN LEAD TO
COMPLICATIONS?
• Problems like stress, posttraumatic stress, health concerns, depression, anxiety,
irritability, insomnia, feeling out of place or disconnected, or difficulties with memory
may interfere with strong relationships.
• Military training rewards self-reliance, so the first instinct when facing any problem
may be to withdraw or isolate from others instead of sharing what they are going
through.
• Protecting your loved ones by not sharing information which can lead to isolation and
loneliness.
• Over-functioning with the responsibility of handling all household chores, childcare,
financial management, etc. with little or no help
7. THE BATTLE
If I love them enough, they will stop.
I can “fix” this.
I need to do everything I can to make them happy.
I need to keep everything “perfect” to the outside world.
I am tired, angry and depressed and I cannot do anything right.
I am feeling the strain and I am crying all the time.
8. DECLARATION
• Permission to Invest in Self
• Permission to Let it Go
• Invest Time in Family
• Have a Reality Check
• Set up Escape Plan
• Peer Support & WARS community
With free one hour therapy our primary focus will always be to attend to those in need by linking
them to individuals in our society best equipped to respond effectively. In addition, we will
develop research and educational programs to further promote the value and importance
supporting those forgotten. We hope to encourage an increase in shared responsibility for those
citizens who are suffering. We have not only the potential but the duty to help one another in
times of need.
9. PLAN – 1ST QUARTER 2017
• Solidify a Memorandum of Understanding with the Army National Guard and develop a
collaborative relationships with the commanding officers of returning troops so that these
officers are aware of and comfortable with the services we provide. We are also working
closely with a number of veterans service organizations to promote our services directly to
the family members of troops. We are also collaborating with the Veterans Administration
to distribute information about our services through Vet Centers across the country and to
take referrals from their Veterans Crisis Line. Finally, we are promoting our services to the
military community and the public through a media campaign that includes print,
television, and radio coverage.
• WARS will recruit mental health professionals in several ways. We have been endorsed by
the major mental health associations in the United States--the American Association for
Marriage and Family Therapy, American Association of Pastoral Counselors, American
Group Psychotherapy Association, American Mental Health Counselors Association,
American Psychiatric Association, American Psychiatric Nurses Association, American
Psychological Association, Anxiety Disorders Association of America, Mental Health
America, National Association of Social Workers, North American Association of Christians
in Social Work, and Therapeutic Communities of America, among others.
10. PLAN CONT’D
• Only licensed mental health professionals are included in the
network; licenses are verified. Non-licensed pastoral providers may be
included in the network as long as they meet other criteria, including
membership in professional organizations. In addition to coordinating with
national organizations, we also recruit mental health professionals through
professional publications and websites.
• Recruiting volunteers will be handled from a number of organizations and
institutions as well as through our website www.WARS.org to assist us in
the implementation of our program. Volunteers from retired military
personnel to members of military families to concerned civilians
throughout the country are helping WARS. Volunteers will be checking
licenses, distributing brochures, and coordinating community partnership
opportunities for those troops and family members interested in giving
back an hour to their own community.
11. REFERENCES:
Ahmadzadeh, G. H., & Malekian, A. (2004). Aggression, anxiety, and social development in
adolescent children of war veterans with PTSD versus those of non-veterans. Journal of
Research in Medical Sciences, 9, 33–36.
Dekel R, Solomon Z, Bleich A. Emotional distress and marital adjustment of caregivers:
contribution of the care recipient’s level of impairment and of the caregiver’s appraised
burden. Anxiety Stress Coping.2005;18:71–82
Family of a Vet. http://www.familyofavet.com/loved_ones.html
Family of a Vet - http://www.familyofavet.com/coping_skills_PTSD_spouse.html
Give An Hour - www.GiveAnHour.org
H. Thomas de Burgh , Claire J. White , Nicola T. Fear , Amy C. Iversen The impact of deployment to
Iraq or Afghanistan on partners and wives of military personnel. International Review of
Psychiatry. Vol. 23, Iss. 2, 2011
Mansfield, A., Ph.D., M.P.H., Kaufman, J. Ph.D., Marshall, S. Ph.D., Gaynes, B.N. M.D., M.P.H.,
Morrissey, J., Ph.D., and Engel, C., M.D., M.P.H.N Deployment and the Use of Mental
Health Services among U.S. Army Wives. Engl J Med 2010; 362:101-109
N. Ben Arzi, Z. Solomon. R.Dekel. (2009). Secondary traumatization among wives of PTSD and
post-concussion casualties: distress, caregiver burden and psychological separation. Brain
Injury. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com
12. REFERENCES:
• H. Thomas de Burgh , Claire J. White , Nicola T. Fear , Amy C. Iversen The impact of
deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan on partners and wives of military
personnel. International Review of Psychiatry. Vol. 23, Iss. 2, 2011
13. WARS
W O M E N A N D R E L AT I O N S H I P S O L U T I O N S
Working Through Complications That Impact Relationships with Military Spouses
Editor's Notes
And, I know that for most heroes (and caregivers!) the best chance and avenue for help they have is the Veterans Administration. Let's face it, not only is it a system set up purposefully FOR our Veterans... but it is also where those with the most experience dealing with the myriad of injuries and illnesses faced every day by those who have served our country ARE.
Family members and friends may not understand these problems very well, including how they can affect relationships. Veterans who have experienced traumatic events such as combat or sexual assaults often find it especially difficult to talk to their loved ones.
In war it is not just important to prepare offensively but to have a strong defense in place as well.
No, he won’t. He needs professional help and no amount of coddling by you is going to stop his behavior.
No, you can’t. You cannot “fix” PTSD by yourself. He needs a professional.
You will NEVER be able to keep him happy. Happiness is something he has to find on his own through hard work, counseling, and maybe even medication.
You are setting yourself up for failure.
