what is the best way to cope with your spouse going to iraq?

Answer 1

Stay busy. If you have kids, sign them up for summer sports or clubs. Space A home for a month if you want to. Hang out with girlfriends. Get caught up on all the sappy girl movies that you love but your husband just rolls his eyes at. Work out at the gym more and see if you can lose a few pounds while he's gone. If you don't have kids and don't work, get some kind of job or volunteer position to get you out around other people.
The biggest thing is to have people around you to talk to and to stay positive. If you get miserable and lonely, he'll hear it in your voice when you talk and it will effect him too. He knows you miss him, he knows you want him home, but you gotta be emotionally ok with him gone. Pray for him every night and just trust that he'll be ok. We got a full family picture (pets included) before he left. It was a nice thing for him to keep around to look at us all. I take alot of pictures and email him letters and pictures all the time so he doesn't totally miss out of stuff. Try to send him care packages once a month or every 3 weeks. I started getting the newspaper again so I could mail my hubby the Sunday Comics. He loves reading them. He also bought a digital camera so he could show me what his "house" looks like down there.
Just stay hopeful and up-beat. And remember to bank all the extra pay you get. Then you'll both have fun spending it when he gets home. My husband is only half-way through his tour, and of course its hard. But the happier I can stay, the better off my husband and kids are. So find you some nice positive friends and spend time with them. If you don't have any friends that have deployed spouses, go to the deployed spouses get-togethers and meet a few people. But he will get through it and so will you. Don't even think negative, it'll not do either of you any good.

Answer 2

Hi, I know exactly where your coming from.I went through it twice.It really does suck.I think that you should just join as many groups as possible. Theres also many interesting classes you can attend to find out about diffrent events taking place around the area ur in. Like for example if ur spouse is in the marines you could always go to a links class. Or be a kv, Just keep urself busy and be faithful. If you keep busy then it will keep ur mind off of the deployment and time will fly .Good luck to ya hun!!!

Answer 3

If I were there, I would want to hear from you constantly. Get web cams and give him a show whenever you can. Let him know that you believe in him. Be the strong support that he desperately needs. Tell him you support him, support his mission, and that you pray for his safe return. No one on earth is more important to him right now than you. You occupy an honored role in our nation. Be proud of him and thankful that you have an opportunity to do wonderful things for your man to make him a better soldier and better able to defend this great nation.

Answer 4

Love and enjoy him/her before he goes and spend alot of time with him. When they do go write to him every day!!!! Make sure your spouse writes back to you. Send him/her lots of pics and disposbale cameras or a polaroid with lots of film so that they can send you back pics of him They can even send you back the camera and you can develop the pics for him/her. I pray for your spouse's safe return from Iraq. I am sure this is very hard on you!

Answer 5

One, realize that you're married to a hero willing to put their life on the line for our freedom, something bigger than you, I, and everyone else.

Spend a lot of time with your family, on both sides. Your parents, his parents, etc etc. It really helps to be around people that love the same person you do.

Try to keep in touch as much as possible, via email, letters, sat-phone, etc. If he's in a special forces unit and can't communicate with you as often, I don't know... It's very hard for you, but be there for him whenever you talk to him. Be strong and keep the family together until he gets back.

Answer 6

Talk to your family and friends about how you feel and make sure to keep yourself busy. Communicate with your hubby whenever you can - even if it's just you sending him letters about whats going on at home.
Just make sure you are keeping busy and also staying social. You need a support system while you are going through this time without your hubby.

Answer 7

Well, being in the military myself and seeing firsthand the results of deployments....I say there is a high chance you will end up cheating on him, or vice versa...sorry but it's the truth.

Answer 8

( don't military wives have support systems anymore??) --- I have several friends who had husbands that served during Desert Storm and the military had support groups for them --- and even had Richard Simmons to come in and do an exercise program with them -