Mental health tips for deployment

7 Tips to Stay Mentally Strong While Your Loved One is Deployed

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Military deployment is never easy, even if you’ve been through it a few times. You carry the weight of distance, worry, and the pressure to be there and stay strong for your family. It can become emotionally exhausting.

Even the strongest people feel the toll of deployment. Anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and stress are all common in people who are separated from their loved ones. These emotions deserve real attention and support.

That’s why caring for your own mental health isn’t just important: it’s essential. If the emotional strain becomes overwhelming, there are effective treatments and supportive options, including TMS therapy, that can help you regain balance and resilience.

Anew Era TMS & Psychiatry offers counseling, medication management and TMS therapy among our services. Proudly accepting Tricare insurance, we’ll help you navigate the tough times in life.

Here are seven mental health tips to rely on when your loved one is deployed.

#1: Acknowledge the Emotional Weight

It’s normal to start feeling difficult emotions before and during your loved one’s deployment. The stress, worry and isolation you’re feeling aren’t signs of weakness – they’re normal and valid. Being separated from a life partner, parent or sibling is never easy, particularly if there’s an element of danger involved.

Giving yourself permission to feel these emotions is okay and far healthier than internalizing them. When you repress difficult emotions, they can become more intense and lead to issues like anxiety, depression and even substance use.

#2: Build Your Support Network

When you’re feeling down and worried, it’s very easy to start isolating yourself…which is another thing that can make difficult emotions much harder to deal with. Studies have shown that isolation and loneliness can make physical and mental health worse.

Instead, look to your friends, family and support groups. Combined, they can be a powerful and effective support network, helping you share your load as your loved one serves. Military families have effective resources to find help, support groups and more.

#3: Stay Connected

It’s often easier than it seems to stay connected with a loved one who’s on deployment. Before your loved one ships out, talk about other ways to stay in touch beyond texting (although it’s a great idea to text frequently, too).

Think about what kinds of communication feel most comforting for both of you, like quick check‑ins, longer conversations, or small shared rituals that help you feel close even when you’re far apart.

You might decide on a mix of options: scheduled video calls when possible, voice notes that can be listened to anytime, shared photo albums or even handwritten letters that become keepsakes. Some families create small traditions, like sending a “good morning” photo each day or sharing one thing they’re grateful for each week.

#4: Rely on Your Routines

Routines and structure create predictability, help your brain focus on other things, and give you a sense of control. Plus, with routines, you don’t ask yourself “what if” as often, and it also reduces constant decision making.

Consider grounding rituals as well. If you’re feeling like you’re going to panic, hold an ice cube in your hand or put your hands in water to help keep you focused on the present. Deep breathing is a grounding ritual many people use…because it works. Even five minutes of breathing is enough to help you control your stress, calm your nerves and help keep you in the moment.

#5: Get Ready for the Emotional Cycles

When a loved one is going away due to deployment, it’s very common to go through an emotional cycle:

  • Anticipation: This is the stage where you worry about your loved one before they leave. It often involves anxiety and worry over what might happen. Talk openly about your expectations and try to control catastrophizing. This is also the stage where you want to build your support structure.
  • Separation: This occurs once your loved one deploys. It’s common to feel shock, even if you were anticipating the separation. The most important things you can do here are to create routines and allow yourself to feel emotions, even if they’re tough ones.
  • Adjustment: Going through the adjustment process is an opportunity to learn how to cope, function and even grow during your loved one’s deployment. Self-care can help you get to this stage… and stay there. Also, give yourself some acknowledgement for your resilience: you’ll discover what you’re capable of.

All of these steps involve intense emotional ups and downs. These are normal and part of the process.

#6: Use Healthy Coping Mechanisms

Staying emotionally steady during a loved one’s deployment isn’t about being perfect; it’s about having practical tools you can lean on when the stress starts to build. Healthy coping strategies help you stay grounded, protect your mental health and create moments of calm even when life feels unpredictable.

Here are some mechanisms to try:

  • Journaling is a great way to express difficult thoughts and emotions.
  • Physical activity helps you release tension and boosts your mood. Even a short walk can be beneficial.
  • Sleep hygiene involves limiting your screen time before sleeping and keeping a regular sleep schedule.
  • Finding a creative outlet like painting, music, crafting or similar helps give your mind a break and turns stress into something useful.

One thing to remember is that healthy coping isn’t about doing everything. Instead, it’s about finding the thing that genuinely helps you feel better.

#7: Seek Professional Mental Health Support

You’re not in this alone. Everybody benefits from a little extra help, like counseling, support groups and more. Knowing when to seek professional support isn’t always easy, though.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

  • Have my mood swings become more common and more severe?
  • Have I lost interest in things I used to enjoy?
  • Am I using substances as a way to cope with difficult emotions?
  • Am I isolating myself from friends and family?
  • Have my sleep patterns changed, like I’m sleeping too much or not enough?
  • Have my hygiene habits changed?

If you find yourself answering “yes” to any of these questions, it’s time for a conversation with a professional. Waiting to get help isn’t showing strength or resilience – it simply allows mental health conditions to become more serious.

One way to help yourself is through TMS therapy.

What Is TMS Therapy?

TMS therapy, or transcranial magnetic stimulation, is a noninvasive, FDA‑cleared brain‑stimulation treatment that uses targeted magnetic pulses to activate or calm specific areas of the brain involved in mood, anxiety, and other neurological functions. It’s most used when medications or therapy haven’t provided enough relief.

The pulses come from an electromagnetic coil placed on the scalp to send brief magnetic pulses into targeted brain regions. These pulses create tiny electrical currents that stimulate nerve cells. Depending on the protocol, TMS can increase activity in underactive areas (common in depression) or reduce overactivity (seen in conditions like OCD).

TMS is also drug-free, and there’s no recovery time. Most sessions last between 20 and 40 minutes (although your first TMS session can last a little longer). At Anew Era, we use TMS to effectively treat:

Again, we proudly accept Tricare insurance.

If You’re Struggling During You’re Loved One’s Deployment, You’re Not Alone

Asking for help isn’t easy – it takes real strength to reach out. We’ll help you thrive and grow during your loved one’s deployment. There’s no need to struggle alone. Reach out to Anew Era TMS & Psychiatry today.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is TMS therapy?

TMS therapy (transcranial magnetic stimulation) is a noninvasive, FDA‑cleared treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain involved in mood regulation. It’s commonly used for depression, anxiety and stress‑related symptoms.

Can TMS help with the emotional impact of deployment?

Yes — many people experience heightened anxiety, sadness or stress when a loved one deploys. TMS helps by improving mood regulation and reducing symptoms of depression or anxiety that can intensify during long separations.

How does TMS support someone dealing with deployment related stress?

TMS helps by:

  • Improving mood when sadness or loneliness becomes overwhelming
  • Reducing anxiety that spikes during uncertain periods
  • Enhancing emotional resilience so daily life feels more manageable
  • Supporting better sleep, which is often affected during stressful transitions

These effects can make it easier to navigate the emotional cycle of anticipation, separation and adjustment.

Is TMS only for people diagnosed with depression?

No. While it’s FDA‑cleared for major depressive disorder and OCD, clinicians sometimes use it for anxiety related symptoms or stress responses, depending on individual evaluation. A healthcare professional can help determine whether it’s appropriate for your situation.

Does TMS help immediately after a loved one leaves?

Some people feel relief early, while others notice changes after several weeks. TMS is typically delivered over multiple sessions, and its benefits build gradually as the brain’s mood regulation circuits strengthen.