Welcome to supportyourvet.org

Your loved one may have a hard time readjusting to civilian life. For them, home may seem unfamiliar. They may feel frustrated, on edge, confused, and distant from you and their friends and family. They may even miss being deployed. After all, they've shared an incredible sense of purpose and camaraderie with their fellow Veterans for months, if not years.

As one Iraq vet explained, “I guess I felt like it’s a society I don’t belong in.”

You may also struggle when your friend or family member returns home. While you're happy that they're back, you're not used to having them around. You may miss making decisions on your own and having time to yourself.

The transition home may not be easy for veterans and their family and friends, but there are things you can do. It's also important to know that your understanding and assistance can be very helpful to a veteran.

One veteran recounts, "My friends could have very easily detached themselves from me, but they stood by me and they never let me slip, which I could have very easily. They made me feel like the world stopped while I was gone, which was far from the truth, a couple of my friends had even gotten married. They went out of their way to do things for me, to make me feel at home, they included me like nothing had changed."

She continues, "Now, I am far from healed but I am in a much better place. It has been three years and I think back at the person I was and I am so thankful I made it out of that. My friends and family are responsible for my coming out of my “dark period”."

Learn more:

• Homecoming Day
• Changes in Family Life
• Behavioral & Emotional Changes
• Getting Help