3 minute read

Transitioning to civilian life through movement.

Exercise physiologists at the Mates4Mates Townsville Family Recovery Centre are supporting soldiers at the Lavarack Barracks with their transition into civilian life through physical rehabilitation.

It can be very common for servicemen and women to hold a “push through to get the job done” mentality firmly in their minds. While this may be seen as necessary for their role in the military, after transitioning, this can lead to increased injuries and create fear avoidance behaviours as they age. Starting to un-learn this behaviour prior to transitioning can help support the process of re-entering civilian life safely, particularly if the soldier has an injury – this is what Mates4Mates aims to achieve with their four-week Solider Recovery Program led by exercise physiologists.

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Running multiple times through the year, the Solider Recovery Program includes:

• Introductory physical education workshops

• Explain Pain workshops

• Static/dynamic stretching workshops

• Pilates classes

• Yoga classes

• Hydrotherapy classes

• Group physical training (PT) sessions

At the Townsville Family Recovery Centre, exercise physiologists Aric Visentin and Cathy Rowe are working with soldiers to increase their confidence in overcoming barriers associated with their transition through exercise and movement.

Instead of trying to push through pain and injury or saying, “I can’t do this”, it becomes a question of how they can modify their new lifestyle for meaningful movement, taking into account the psychological and social aspects of pain, not just the physical.

Soldiers within the recovery program have shared how it has allowed them to put their health first and feel encouraged to ask questions and engage in discussions to further their learnings.

“By breaking down the perceptions of Defence versus civilian mindsets to exercise, you can see soldiers begin to branch out of their movement comfort zones, all of which is preparing them for their future outside of the military,” Cathy said.

The Soldier Recovery Program is offered in both Townsville at the Lavarack Barracks and in Brisbane at the Gallipoli Barracks. To find out more, contact Mates4Mates on 1300 4 MATES.

Frequent relocations, long periods of separation, uncertainty, and the risks of operational deployments can create additional stressors in relationships and family dynamics.

Healthy relationships play a key role in the recovery from the impacts of service. Quality relationships are associated with reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, alongside increased quality of life, positive mood, self-esteem, and even physical health.

Separation due to military requirements can effectively remove daily interactions and physical contact with partners and children, increasing loneliness and isolation for Defence Force members.

The potential traumatic stress of serving is also suggested to alter a service person’s perceptions and behaviours, including greater perceived threat and emotional detachment, which creates a barrier to re-engage and re-establish relationships when home.

When Defence Force members are away, their partners often report feeling lonely, isolated, sad, and depressed, while also worrying about the safety of their loved one. If a child is involved, it typically results in sole-parenting responsibilities for them.

Written by Ann-Marie Trinh, Mates4Mates Psychologist

The process of moving can also have an impact on employment opportunities and access to social supports, increasing feelings of loneliness and social isolation. There are many transitions in the household that can also have a negative impact on military children. These include an absence of role modelling from the serving parent, instability in environment, and the compromise of secure relationships with educators, peers, and wider social networks through geographical relocations.

Children can experience regressions in learning as well as socio-emotional skills that are required to maintain healthy relationships, which can in turn increase fatigue for parents and impact on their ability to cope, placing additional strain on the family unit. Developing and maintaining healthy relationships requires effort, attention, and care, but there is extra support available. Mates4Mates offers a wide range of mental health services for veterans and their families impacted by service. To find out more, reach out to Mates4Mates on 1300 4 MATES for a confidential chat.

Tips on building healthy relationships

• Be self-aware of when you might start to withdraw or become emotionally distant from important people in your life.

• Prioritise important relationships and create time to connect with those that matter the most. Even while away, stay connected through thoughts, gestures and rituals that can be completed together.

• Maintain clear and open communication with loved ones. Sharing thoughts, feelings and problems helps to build trust and intimacy in relationships.

• Practice good listening skills to enhance ability to understand and connect with others better.

• Plan an engaging and meaningful activity that can be shared together.

• Identify triggers and stressors that lead to tension in the relationship.

• Take time out to de-stress and allow breathing room in the relationship to reflect and regulate.

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