RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- Being stationed overseas can feel hard at times, especially during the holiday season. For many, this is their first time away from home. For others, the holidays remind them of a traumatic time. Whether or not the grayer skies proves to be a challenge for you, it is important to know what resources are available on base to stay on top of your mental health.
The 86th Medical Group Mental Health Clinic provides a range of services to help service members treat mental health and other conditions to improve daily function.
“We offer a range of services,” said Capt. Kaseem Foster, 86th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron clinical psychologist. “We have the anxiety and depression group, attention and concentration group, dialectical behavioral therapy group, trauma group and our sleep group.”
It is crucial to prioritize mental health because when our mental well-being is jeopardized, it can affect our physical health as well.
“Depression, anxiety and your emotions have a direct impact on your body,” Foster said. “When people are more depressed they feel pain more intensely. Mental health may not cause certain conditions, but it will definitely affect them.”
There are many misconceptions about visiting the mental health clinic, however, at the end of the day, the mission is to take care of service members and their mental health.
“A lot of people don’t come to the mental health clinic because they don’t want to get in trouble,” Foster said. “Our goal is never to remove people from the fight or from their career fields. Our goal is to get people to a safe and stable place.”
In the end, it is crucial for everyone to prioritize their mental well-being because everyone deserves the utmost care and support.
“You matter,” Foster said. “That’s the most important thing. Each individual Airman matters.”
Service members can also speak to chaplains on base. Although Airmen may associate chaplains with spiritual well-being rather than mental health, the two go hand-in-hand.
“A big part of our mental health is our spiritual fitness,” said Capt. Jamie Osborne, 86th Airlift Wing chaplain. “It’s feeling connected to other people.”
Osborne explained, when it comes to determining whether to seek help or not, the first step is to be honest with yourself about how you feel.
“Mental health is someone’s inner world,” Osborne said. “Sometimes that state of being is in a good level, and sometimes it’s in a place that needs some moral support. I think it is something that’s hard to put our fingers on, but when we know it’s not in a positive place, we can all recognize it.”
Regardless of whether someone holds a religious belief or not, the chaplains are available to speak with all service members.
“We’re here to support all Airmen,” Osborne said. “If they have a religious belief or don’t have one, we’re there to serve them all and support them in their spiritual fitness, which is directly tied to their mental health.”
Answering our nation’s call is a major accomplishment, one that may come with some mental health challenges. It is vital for everyone to take care of their mental health, so every service member can be their best selves to continue building resiliency and accomplish the mission.
“Our Airmen are incredible,” Osborne exclaimed. “Everyday people are doing amazing things and along with that comes a big cost. Sometimes we need more support just to continue doing the amazing work we’ve committed ourselves to.”