Navigating the Stresses of Veteran’s Day

November 11^th marks Veteran’s Day – a time to celebrate the efforts and accomplishments of those who put their lives on the line to serve their country. However, even amidst these celebrations, veterans themselves can experience a plethora of challenges surrounding this holiday. Understanding the difficult situations that can come with Veteran’s Day and how to address them can help veterans not only maintain a healthier emotional state but also open new dialogues about the needs and goals of veterans in civilian life. 

Just because Veteran’s Day can come with stress doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be celebrated. Rather, it is important for veterans to be acknowledged for the services they provided and what it took to carry out their mission in the line of duty. However, doing so means also acknowledging the challenges and the personal cost of their time in the military. Celebrating Veteran’s Day with a veteran loved one is equal parts thanking them for their service as well as addressing the price or continued toll that their military experiences can continue to have in daily life. 

Knowing the common stresses that veterans face both during the holiday and throughout daily life can inform the best way to help veterans approach Veteran’s Day while still acknowledging their service. 

It can be difficult for those who have not lived through the challenges and culture of military life to understand that having such a holiday as Veteran’s Day also comes with intense stresses, challenges, and more.  Moreover, since there are challenges surrounding this time that veterans must face and overcome, fostering support and understanding is crucial. 

Veteran’s Day is a time to show thanks to veterans for their efforts in the line of duty. However, depending on each veteran’s military experiences or experiences on tour or in an active warzone, these efforts can come with a wealth of mixed emotions. 

Being reminded of life-threatening situations, brothers or sisters lost in the line of duty, or even reminded of their own injuries incurred in service can all be incredibly taxing. Many veterans may find it difficult to celebrate such experiences due to their heavy personal costs. Survivor’s guilt, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) guilt, doubt, depression, panic, and flashbacks are all possible. 

Veteran’s Day can also be a time when veterans, despite being celebrated, can also feel disconnected from the civilian communities they are a part of. These feelings of disconnect can further feelings of isolation if veterans feel they are treated differently – even while being celebrated – as it can reinforce the vastly different life experiences, perspectives, and more that veterans have navigated compared to civilian counterparts. 

Veterans are often portrayed and seen as bastions of strength and heroism, built up from a solid base of immovable conviction. However, expecting veterans to always embody such an intense visage is incredibly taxing. Veteran’s Day can reinforce these expectations of veterans, making it even more difficult to truly discuss their needs, goals, and challenges faced each and every day. This can make it exceptionally difficult for veterans to reach out for help regarding the continued effects of their time in service, from trauma and physical injury to depression, anxiety, PTSD, and more. 

Finding new ways to navigate Veteran’s Day for veterans themselves and their families is crucial. Fortunately, it is an opportunity to birth further understanding and support for those who have put it all on the line for their country and family. 

Making an effort to truly acknowledge the cost of military service is paramount for veterans, as many may still carry emotional scars from fallen brothers and sisters in arms. Creating new traditions for Veteran’s Day that celebrate the memory of those lost in the line of duty can help veterans better address and acknowledge their own experiences, the weight of these experiences in military life, and their continued effect on civilian life. 

Finding veteran peers or a dedicated veteran support community, like the one available at Hawaii Island Recovery, can be crucial. Not only is it paramount to help veterans feel truly connected to others in civilian life by being able to share experiences and perspectives but they are also necessary for legitimizing the challenges that veterans commonly face. Having a space where veterans are not expected to be solely bastions of strength but are rather encouraged to be people allowed to feel depressed, anxious, or challenged by guilt is paramount. 

Furthermore, connecting with other veterans and fellow military families through our luxury rehab in Hawaii or Hawaii Island Recovery’s dedicated veteran programs can add a degree of understanding and can help veterans address their needs better compared to celebrating alongside civilian counterparts.

Taking a moment to listen to the needs of veterans without expectations or stigmas can be a powerful experience. Celebrating Veteran’s Day by empowering veterans to express their voice and truly listen to their needs, goals, and challenges can set the tone for new ways to not only celebrate the holiday but also address their needs and further ingratiate them into civilian communities. 

Despite the good intentions of Veteran’s Day, there are still many challenges that veterans must address throughout the holiday and beyond. Making an effort to acknowledge the experiences and cost of military life can empower veterans, their families, and entire communities to approach the holiday in a new way with more active support, caring, and understanding. 

Celebrating Veteran’s Day is an important time. However, it is also a time to consider not just the accomplishments of veterans and thank them for their service, but also to acknowledge the cost of their service as well. At Hawaii Island Recovery, we create an atmosphere and community based around veteran healing and overcoming the unique challenges, traumas, and more that veterans face in daily life. Veteran’s Day can be difficult for many, and knowing how to celebrate and acknowledge the stresses can be the best approach to a truly fulfilling and meaningful holiday for veterans. For more information on how our luxury rehab in Hawaii can help, call to speak to us today at (866) 390-5070.