Coming back into civilian life can be incredibly difficult for veterans. As difficult as it may be for males, female veterans also struggle with balancing home life and some of the traumatic things that they have experienced in their years of service. Learning to cope with these feelings and mental health struggles can truly take its toll on a person. One way that women veterans have found helpful in dealing with these challenges is with martial arts. Foxhole Veterans Charity Foundation is here to talk about some of the ways martial arts can help women deal with PTSD and the trauma they experienced during their years of service.
Struggles for Women Veterans that Men Might Not Experience While Serving
There are some traumatic stresses that women might feel while men don’t. Even though women are joining the military in larger numbers than men, they still face struggles that men aren’t going to experience. Some of the those struggles might include:
– Military Sexual Trauma: As time goes on, there are more and more women that are coming forward with reports of sexual misconduct while serving in the military. This can cause significant distress and trauma.
– Family Worries: Mothers often feel connections with their families that are unmatched. This means that they might struggle with worries about the well-being of their families while they are away.
– Loneliness: Women are often at a disadvantage right out of the gate in the military. This can lead to extremely real feelings of loneliness that can be difficult to handle.
– Combat Operations: This last one isn’t unique to women, but the experiences in combat that veterans experience can leave them facing challenges most people will never understand.
Benefits of Martial Arts for Women Veterans
Martial arts can be a helpful tool for women that are trying to cope with the mental health struggles they have as they readapt to civilian life.
– Physical & Emotional Redirect: When someone has experienced trauma, it can be difficult to not live in a state of constant fear. There are certain triggers that can lead to extreme challenges. Martial arts help to redirect those emotions and focus on self defense skills.
– PTSD Coping: Learning coping skills with PTSD is also a huge benefit to training in martial arts.
– Confidence: There is a tremendous amount of self confidence that can come from training in martial arts. As you continue to get better and better, you find greater confidence in your achievements.
Training Veterans Out of Victorious Gym in Milford & The Crown MMA in Troy, Michigan
If you are a veteran that is struggling, you can turn to Foxhole Veterans Charity Foundation to help you find relief and healing from the struggles and challenges that you’re facing. You will find a sense of community and belonging when you turn to our gyms for training. We will help you excel in civilian life. Call us today!