An Cosantóir

33 If you experience any combination of these, or observe them in others, then it is time to act. It is important not to wait until things get worse. You should be prepared to talk to someone about how you are feeling. Do NOT be afraid to access professional services, either in the mission area, or remotely back to IRELAND. You will always be treated with respect and in confidence. The sooner you address a problem then the sooner it can be fixed. Dealing with Alcohol: If alcohol is available to you during your deployment, then you decide how you will treat it well before you go. Do not be influenced by others or allow yourself to be dragged along with the existing culture in a mission area, either amongst IRISH or international staff. If you are clear and consistent about your choices, then they will be easily accepted and respected by others. Be sure you maintain an honest account of your drinking habits and be prepared to alter your behaviour if you feel that you are losing control. Do NOT be afraid to look for help – dealing early with an alcohol issue helps recovery and can prevent negative outcomes and side effects. Dealing with Critical Incidents: The World Health Organisation defines a critical incident as "an event out of the range of normal experience-one which is sudden and unexpected, makes you lose control, involves the perception of a threat to life and can include elements of physical or emotional loss" In the event, that you or your colleagues experience a critical incident, you need to be aware of the possibility of critical incident stress and take steps to protect yourselves and to reduce the effect. There are people who will help: Peers – particularly those who are trained as CISM Peer Responders. Deployed Medical Assets – depending on where you are serving, there will be both IRISH and international assets deployed to support you during and after a critical incident. You should be aware of who and where they are, on arriving in mission. DF MED, psychiatry and clinical psychology Assets, PSS CISM teams can assist you either remotely or in location in the event of a critical incident. The bottom line is that all personnel should be aware of the possibility of critical incident stress and should be capable of looking for support. So, who can help you and your family through all stages of deployment? The Personnel Support Service (PSS): PSS staff are available to you in every location of the DF on island. Every overseas deployment is supported by PSS. You can access details of your PSS support team by emailing pss@military.ie. In some cases, PSS staff will visit you in your mission area, and will maintain contact with you throughout your deployment. PSS are available to both you and your family to support you through your deployment experience. The Chaplaincy Service: DF Chaplains are available in some mission areas and are always available at home to military personnel and to their families. DF Medical, Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology services: DF Clinical Psychologists are available to support members of the Defence Forces during their deployment. These services are usually contacted through your MO. Unit Liaison Officer: Your home unit will have appointed a Liaison Officer to stay in contact with your family during your deployment. This means that your family can receive updates from the military side regarding rotations, leave chalks and anything else that might be of interest. This flow of information can be important in maintaining the peace of mind of your family. Here are some things you can do to ensure it works: Identify the LO before you go and make sure that she/he has the correct contact details for your family. Ask about the arrangements for your deployment. Talk to your family about the LO system and find out from them how often they want to be contacted, and by what means. Even if they don't want to be contacted too often, it is critical that the LO has established communication before you go. Set up contact and if possible, test the arrangement with some messaging. It might be a good idea to get your family to meet the LO before you go. It is easier to talk to somebody that you have already met face to face. The Liaison Officer can be a useful resource for your family while you are gone. They will take their lead from you – It's up to you to ensure it's working before you go. A Final Word The information provided above should give you a good framework to begin your deployment with good awareness about the need to maintain your own mental health and that of your family, during your time away. Please take the time to explore the references and make sure that you are always able to look for help in good time if you are NOT ok. Stay close to your family when you are away and take care of your deployed colleagues. If you are looking out for them, then they will be looking out for you. Please feel free to contact any of the resources mentioned above if you have problems or questions. The INSPIRE 24-hour external confidential counselling service is available to all serving personnel. It is also available to our family members, where such family members are partners or spouses, or adult children living at home. The contact number for INSPIRE is 1800 409 673, or 00-353-1-685-6816 if dialling from outside IRELAND. Last of all, take care of yourself, have a safe, enjoyable and productive deployment and we look forward to seeing you when you get back. HEAD SPACE & TIMING

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