Seeking Help: Overcoming obstacles to maintain resilience

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Benjamin Raughton
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. - --  Editor's note: This is the fourth part of a series on "Airmen seeking help."

I'm afraid.

I'm afraid of failing. I'm afraid I won't be able to help anyone. I'm afraid I won't be able to continue the mission. I'm afraid I'll lose my career. I'm afraid I'm holding everyone back. Is this the end of the line?

Fear can be a paralyzing emotion. Many people fear things such as death, the unknown, insects or dangerous animals. While being afraid is a natural response to certain stimuli, it's important to maintain resilience in order to keep a healthy lifestyle and accomplish the mission.

"Anything that creates a stressor for an individual can cause resilience to breakdown such as an injury, an accident, mental health, financial or legal issues, permanent changes of station, death of a loved one, increased work stress, deployment, or relationship issues," said Capt. Michael Glotfelter, 2nd Medical Group resilience officer. "Additionally, while many life events are positive, such as a marriage or birth of a child, they also create change and stress and possibility for break down in resilience."

Like fear, there are many things that can lead to a breakdown of mental, physical, social or spiritual fitness that comprise wellness and resilience.

"Mental Health can provide individual counseling services to help Airmen deal with stressful situations or help manage mental health issues that may decrease resilience," Glotfelter said. "We have classes we can bring to units to support resilience, such as Front Line Supervisor Training, to help supervisors recognize members struggling with decreases in resilience. We can also provide suicide prevention and education on stress management and healthy sleep habits."

The Family Advocacy Program offers stress and anger management classes monthly to help Airmen and their families build resilience as well as relationship classes and counseling.

Joining Mental Health and the Family Advocacy Program is the Airman and Family Readiness Center, which offers courses that can help Airmen keep their career on the right track before stress levels start to run high.

"There are services the A&FRC can provide, regardless of your life or relationship issues," said Stephanie Reyes, chief of the A&FRC. "The programs we provide Airmen and their families contribute to mission readiness, resilience, adaptation to military life, and well-being of the military community. Our education programs and services are open to all military and civilian personnel and their families."

Classes such as Finance 101, Time Management and Healthy Relationships can help Airmen who struggle with a plethora of issues ranging from balancing heavy workloads to managing personal finances.

The A&FRC isn't alone in their mission to keep Airmen ready to fly, fight and win. The chaplain also provides full support.

The chaplain engages resilience by counseling Airmen with confidentiality and protects Airmen's first amendment right to worship by providing opportunities to do so.

The chaplain corp exists to serve the Airmen and maintain their spiritual fitness so they can continue to contribute to the 2nd Bomb mission, said1st Lt. Jeremy Coenen, 2nd BW chaplain.

For more information on resilience resources, contact Mental Health at 456-6600, Family Advocacy at 456-6595, The Airman and Family Readiness Center at 456-8400 or the Chaplain's office at 456-2111.