Family support groups are so very important. The healing capacity comes from peers. Pugh cautioned spouses about putting themselves on an emotional roller coaster, too. Especially dangerous, he said, is listening to rumors or becoming addicted to television news. Instead, he urged spouses to get involved positively through unit family support groups.
Deployment can be a stressful time, with physical as well as emotional symptoms.
Physiological changes in the body can be immediate, such as a tense stomach or headache, as well as long term, such as ulcers and cardiovascular disease. Experts caution family members that stress, if not dealt with appropriately, can be overwhelming and devastating. They urge family members to take advantage of the available resources to make deployments as stress-free as possible. With short-notice deployments becoming common, commanders are urging soldiers to have their legal affairs in order beforehand. The push on updating legal affairs follows a Defense Department survey showing that less than half the 100,000 participating service members and their spouses had wills or powers of attorney.