Loss can be in many forms in our lives each day. It is common, especially for military families who have so much to deal with and changes that occur in an instant. One of the common losses that these families experience is the unexpected death of a loved one. Men and women who are killed in combat can be harder to cope with because it was unexpected. Death, in any case, is not something that can be easily dealt with or accepted. When a person dies from a prolonged illness; the loss is expected to happen. If a person is killed without expectation, then the reality of it can be even harder to phantom.
When a military family loses a loved one from sudden death due to war, it can be hard to accept. The long term effects can increase the pain and cause loves ones to be unable to cope and move on with life. When this type of grief occurs, it is important to seek professional help and assistance in order to begin the healing process. Professional help from a counselor or psychiatrist can offer ways to assist the military family member with healing and acceptance of the loss. “There are positive outcomes from cognitive coping models that the loved one can do to start to gain back control and acceptance” . It is a process that will program the mind to understand the loss and focus on ways to work past it in order for life to continue. The coping process does not mean that the victim of this tragedy will have to forget the loved one, it just helps the mind to heal in a positive way. The treatment interventions can decrease the way the grieving process works, and may allow the individual to move on afterward.
The grieving process can be long term and will not happen overnight. Effective coping skills and interventions can improve the ability of life and help ease the pain in the future. “Acceptance is an important factor to begin coping and with professional help; this can happen” . Losing someone is not easy and many military families experience this way too much in life. Once it happens, it is important for the process of coping to begin in order to continue living.
Reference
Kristensen, P. (2012). Bereavement and Mental Health. Psychiatry, 76-97.
Meier, A. M. (2013). Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance in Coping with Bereavement. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 315-334.
