Reunion with family often is idealized as a quick, smooth return to "normalcy." The reality may fall short of that ideal.
Those returning from military service are often hit right away with a laundry list of problems, including bills, family disputes, and expectations that family interactions and intimacy will spring back to pre-war levels.
Stress and anxiety can be the result of culture shock, with the quick flight from the foxhole to the front porch and no time to decompress en route. It may take some service members and family members time to readjust -- and the failure to effectively manage during this period can create a great deal of stress, anxiety, frustration, and anger.
Returning to work creates other tensions for National Guard members and reservists. Employers of those who had been deployed may tend to underestimate how long it will take someone who's been away to shift gears. Some employers may feel that they kept jobs open to do their part for America--now they want to get back to business as usual. Fellow workers may want to talk about the war when the returning employee wants to forget. Or conversely, fellow workers may not provide an opening for a service member who needs to talk.
Next page: More Difficult for Some
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