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Unit 9 Assignment: Final Project

Cristian Del Rio

Purdue University Global

HW410 Models of Health & Wellness

Professor Purkett

May 24, 2022

Unit 9 Assignment: Final Project

An invisible killer, a famine spreader, the silent weight, many names have been

associated with this disease. Stress has been at the for front of humanity, it does not discriminate

age, race, gender; stress is associated with sickness and depression, and has a history of attacking

ruthlessly. Although everyone on Earth has been affected one way or another to this silent killer,

the focus for this Stress-management program is directed towards the member of the military. It

appears stress is a key component of the whole process. Members of the military use it, but also

fall victim to it. The development of this program has been specifically cultured for the military.

Military members have stressor such as training evolutions, physical requirements, family

separation, survival in the field, and many others. This program is designed to help find the

stressors, use techniques to cope and manage the stress, and look for help when needed.

Explained Stressors

The military lifestyle is a continuous change, rapidly transforming battlefield, not

necessarily in a physical battlefield but, a mental field. According to NIH, “Three items were

related to injury stress: 1. combat-related injury, 2. noncombat injury, and 3. caring for ill,

injured, or disabled spouse; and three items were related to family stress: 4. increased time spent

away, 5. performing military duties, 6. conflict over continued military involvement, and 7.

difficulty balancing demands of family life and 8. military duties.” The last two stressor deal

with 9. reintegration to civilian life, and 10. loss of friends, brothers in arms. (2019) Some of

these stressors are physical and some are mental. Both of which can cause havoc on the body,

spirit, and relationships.

The combat related injury can bring a metal drain from both family members and the

military member themselves. The feeling of not being burden some because or any injury related
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to combat. Some members suffer injuries stateside while active duty and feel distraught, because

of being injured by an accident. Jobs in the military are just like civilian jobs, not all military

members see combat. Only about 15 % of all the U.S military members see combat, 60 % of the

member get deployed to other countries or are stationed on ships, overseas, and even in the US

hundreds of miles away from home. Like a regular job it is hard to get time off, and to get it

approved is sometimes tough. The mission always comes first. This is the job that the service

members chose, and they know it. The military has come a long way in helping with the stress of

the job. Yet still it is one of the leading causes of death in service members. In an article written

by USU (Uniformed Services University), they state, “According to the World Health

Organization, almost one million people die by suicide every year, which is a global mortality

rate of 10.7 per 100,000. In the United States (U.S.), someone attempts suicide every 31 seconds

and an average of 1 person dies by suicide every 11.9 minutes, a rate of 13.3 per 100,000.

Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the country. An important consideration is that

suicides have consistently been underreported for a variety of reasons. Experts have estimated

that suicide incidence may be 10-15% higher than officially recorded.” (2022).

The military is just one small portion of the world, but it is a small snapshot of what is

going on at a smaller level. The military has programs to help with stress, depression, and suicide

prevention. This program is designed to help service members learn new strategies and resources

for managing stress. Seaward defines stress as, “Stress is the inability to cope with a perceived

(real or imagined) threat to one’s mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, which

results in a series of physiological responses and adaptations.” (2018).

To help cope with stress here are some great that have helped hundreds of service

members manage stress.

 Hobbies

 Art / Music Therapy

 Meditation / Yoga / Breathwork

These three stress management techniques offer a moment of disconnection from what is

weighing down a service member. The purpose is to do all three therapies but, start with

one by one. Creating a habit, a community, and letting go of thing which cannot be

controlled.

Hobbies are an activity that is pleasurable and enjoyable to do. Having a hobby is a great

way to spend your spare time and unwind from your daily routine, whether it's learning a new

skill, doing something outdoors, reading, or doing something musical or artistic. Spending time

on an activity that you enjoy can improve your mental health and wellbeing. hobbies help

members prevent suffering from stress, low mood, and depression. Activities that get you out and

about can make you feel happier and more relaxed. Group activities like team sports can improve

your communication skills and relationships with others.

Art or Music therapies which are offered by MTFs (Medical Treatment Facilities) on

base. If a member does not want to do it by their primary care provider, picking up an instrument

or a piece of paper, wood, or paint, can start a new practice. Tribe Sk8z is a business that was

started by a Navy SEAL veteran named DJ Shipley. He was going through transition program at

NICoE (National Intrepid Center of Excellence) at Walter Reed National Military Medical

Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Where they offer therapies for service member with a history of

TBI’s, PTSD, and injuries sustained in combat. DJ picked up art therapy by accident, when he

was going through medication withdrawal for the month-long stay. He began painting, soon after

he realized the art therapy was an escape from everything going on around him. He then
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transitioned to painting on skateboards which he loved since he was a young kid, and it turned

into wood burning thereafter. An article by coffeordiemagazine, states, “When we were at

NICoE, I got introduced to art therapy, but I was still super angry when I was going through

there,” Cole said. “I literally signed my stuff ‘GFY’ — which is ‘Go Fuck Yourself’ — and that

wasn’t really constructive.” 

While art was therapeutic for DJ, Cole found enjoyment in numbers. “Numbers,

analytics, studying, and forecasting was more therapeutic than art therapy just because I’m

running numbers in my head while I’m painting, and that wasn’t really enjoyable,” Cole said. “I

literally tried to make the art therapy center better by raising money and getting donations, and

the art lady is like, ‘Why are you doing this?’ That’s more therapeutic than drawing or painting

this thing. For whatever reason, numbers are more calming than painting.” (2020)

Program Implementation

This program consists of a 90-day indoctrination with an occupational therapist to check

in everyday to share everyday thoughts, concerns, goals, and mess ups. The first 30 days would

consist of finding out what stressors affect the service members the most. What triggers them.

Introduce different activities and therapies to find a fit, while also limiting but not eliminating

stress.

The following 30 days consist of raising the stress but by a physical activity. The

preferred community would be Yoga. Yoga is an amazing modality for stress. It helps the

member focus on one movement at a time. There are a few different types of Yoga, Hot Yoga,

beginners flow yoga, or static yoga. In each of these, the Yogi (yoga instructor) help students go

through a breathing exercise called Pranayama is an ancient breath technique that originates from
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yogic practices in India. It involves controlling your breath in different styles and lengths. It has

more recently gained popularity in the western world because of the many health benefits that

come from a pranayama practice. The Pranayama is a crucial part of this program, it is a tool to

add to the arsenal of the members tool belt in managing stress. When a member is feeling

stressed, they can refer to this calming style of breath work to get through something tough going

on.

On the last 30 days of the 90-day program, members will implement and create a plan of

their own to take to the real world. This program is designed to help manage stress in the real

world. Some programs work well while the member is being supervised and holding their hand,

but the point is to give them the tools and apply them in real world scenarios. This would include

creating a physical and mental routine for the week and adjust according to stressors. Life throws

random things at you. During this whole time the member is reporting anything to the therapist

whether it be good or bad, to be able to adjust.

To mitigate issues and flare ups, the first 30 days are so crucial. If a member is having a

hard time adjusting or finding an activity that helps, evaluations would be conducted to help as

much as possible.

At the end of the program, a graduation trip would be gifted to the members who

successfully create a plan, stick to the plan, and help other members going through the initial

portion of this program. Again, the point is to make members feel like they are not alone,

creating a community from day one. There are many non-profits who help veterans find a new

mission in life, and that also help transition.

Summary
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The point of this program is to build confidence, give service members new tools, that help when

a stressful situation arises and how to respond to It, and to let service members they are not

alone. On the closing comment by Fratus (2020), “While starting a skateboard company may not

seem like a logical step for former operators, they’ve used this unique path as a platform for

philanthropy within the military, veteran, and first responder communities. From creating

memorial decks for Gold Star families to fostering an environment for youth to develop

themselves and stay out of trouble, the men behind Tribe Sk8z may be retired Navy SEALs,

tattoo artists, and skaters — but, most importantly, they’re just really good dudes.”

Find your why and run like Forrest Gump.

References

Seaward, B. (2018). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-being (9th

ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Briggs, E. C., Fairbank, J. A., Tunno, A. M., Lee, R. C., Corry, N. H., Pflieger, J. C., Stander, V.

A., & Murphy, R. A. (2019). Military Life Stressors, Family Communication and Satisfaction:

Associations with Children's Psychosocial Outcomes. Journal of child & adolescent

trauma, 13(1), 75–87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-019-00259-z

Bray, R. M., Camlin, C. S., Fairbank, J. A., Dunteman, G. H., & Wheeless, S. C. (2001).

The Effects of Stress on Job Functioning of Military Men and Women. Armed forces and society,

27(3), 397–417. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095327X0102700304

https://www.mentalhealth.gov/get-help/veterans

Fratus, M. (2020, February 8). How navy SEALS are using skateboards and art therapy to help

Gold Star. TRIBE SK8Z. Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://tribesk8z.com/blogs/news/navy-

seals-using-skateboards-art-therapy-help-gold-star-families-community

Suicide in the military. Center for Deployment Psychology. (n.d.). Retrieved May 24, 2022, from

https://deploymentpsych.org/disorders/suicide-main