Mental health counselor offers support for families during extended deployments
As tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East, some U.S. service members are finding out their deployments will last longer than originally expected.
Jeffrey Smith, a licensed clinical mental health counselor and veteran, understands those challenges firsthand. Smith, who has been deployed five times, says the news can bring worry and anxiety to military households.
"It's a lot of worrying, a lot of frustrations, anxiety," Smith said.
CENTCOM officials told ABC News there are now 50,000 troops in the region, including about 1,500 from the 82nd Airborne Division.
Smith co-owns Playful Minds Counseling, which offers mental health services for children, adults, and military community members.
He credits his family for supporting him through multiple tours overseas.
"My wife, she's she's a rock star, but I know that she had problems doing it at times. But she did what she had to do to make sure that our family was taken care of."
As the war in Iran stretches into its seventh month, far beyond the four- to six-week, timeline the president initially laid out, military families are facing growing uncertainty.
Eighteen U.S. service members have been killed during the first six months of the conflict.
Smith says finding out that deployments might last a full year can be emotionally difficult, and he knows that feeling himself.
"I joined in 93 and I retired in 2013. I've had multiple deployments. I've only ever had one that was extended without real reason or knowledge."
With the 82nd Airborne Division's deployment now extended to a year, Smith encourages families to express their feelings in healthy ways.
"They can try journaling like a diary. Just write it all down. It's not talking to anybody, but you're still getting all those emotions and feelings out."
Smith acknowledges the mental strain these extended deployments can bring, but says there are ways to cope.
"Talk about it. Friends, family professionals, express your frustrations, express your worries. If you keep them all bottled in, eventually they're going to explode out. "
He notes that anger and frustration are normal reactions, but parents should be mindful of signs of distress in children.
"Frustration, sadness, anxiety, extreme clinginess to the parent that's home. They're afraid that if that parent gets out of their sight, they're going to be gone like the other parent is deployed."
Smith also encourages families to connect with support groups and emphasizes that if thoughts or emotions become too much to handle, reaching out to a mental health professional can help.
