Finding Support In Military Chat Rooms

People of the armed forces often go through uniquely challenging experiences, such as training and combat, that people who haven't been in the military may not understand. As a result, many service people live with mental health concerns like trauma and depression. However, these experiences are also part of the reason that active and retired military personnel often form strong bonds with each other.

Because of the connection and trust servicepeople often feel with one another, support may be more effective when it comes from a fellow soldier of the armed forces. Finding a network of people who are active or former military can be beneficial. 

Service people may find such community in online military chat rooms, where they can interact with soldiers online who could tell their values and experiences. Learn more about why peer support can be valuable for service members and how free military chat rooms can provide advice, guidance, and comfort for those associated with the armed forces.

The benefits of military chat rooms

Military chat rooms may provide a valuable service to current and former armed forces colleagues. They can help foster peer support by connecting service colleagues with experiences and values. Unlike a military singles chat room built for military singles and online dating, military chat rooms aren’t dating sites. Instead, they’re a place for soldiers overseas or at home to spend time chatting with other active or former military. 

You can ask questions in a military chat room, seek guidance, and help other veterans or service colleagues work through challenges. There are also often people online at all hours, making it easy to connect when it’s convenient for you. This type of peer support can create social networking opportunities, promote health and wellness, improve coping skills, and enhance the overall quality of life.

Common experiences and culture

Service colleagues often develop a camaraderie that stems from challenging, often extraordinary situations and the mutual values they can hold. The experiences many military colleagues discuss may include:

• Training 
• Duty stations
• Deployments 
• Separation from family
• Marriage issues caused by military service 

In addition, the armed forces have a distinctive culture, with unique traditions and values that include duty, honor, and courage.

The experiences and culture unique to service colleagues can be kept alive in military chat rooms. Because service people know what it's like to serve their country, they may relate to each other more strongly than they would to people who haven't served, which can make conversation easier.

Some common challenges active service colleagues and veterans face include the following:

• Trauma stemming from combat, interpersonal conflict, or disasters
• Post-traumatic stress disorder, which may be caused by trauma during service
• Reentry into their family and establishing their role within their family after service
• Depression, which is often experienced at a rate five times higher than that experienced by civilians
• Joining or creating a new social circle
• Returning to their job/preparing to enter the workforce
• Adjusting to a new overall life structure, whether inside or outside of the military
• Acquiring necessities such as food and housing
• Adjusting to a new schedule

Peer support

Connecting with people who have gone through similar experiences may help you feel less alone. Peer support can be vital for colleagues of the armed forces, who sometimes live with serious mental health challenges arising from stressful experiences. 

According to the "Best Practices for Peer Support Programs" report by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, there are five key components for effective peer support programs:

1. Social Support: Military personnel can receive advice, guidance, and comfort from their peers
2. Experiential Knowledge: The ability of peers to provide support is based on first-hand experience with similar concerns
3. Trust: Working with someone who has gone through similar experiences can help develop the bond between peers
4. Knowing that their information is safe can help service colleagues feel safe talking
5. Easy Help: One logical way for military personnel to seek support is to turn to their peers

Options for military chat rooms

Many chat rooms and peer support programs are available for active and former service colleagues, most of which are provided by independent non-profit organizations, the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and other government agencies.

Military OneSource

Military OneSource, part of the US Department of Defense, has a peer-to-peer support network that connects service colleagues to consultants with military experience in addition to a master's degree in psychology or a similar study area. 

For those who want help with mental health concerns or want to talk about challenges inherent to military life, the experts at Military OneSource may help. They may have helpful knowledge and skills and are also peers who have gone through similar experiences.  

Amputee Coalition 

Military chat rooms and support groups may also address specific concerns common to service people. One such group is the Amputee Coalition, which offers peer support for those who have lost a limb during combat or war. 

Safe HelpRoom

Another option to consider is Safe HelpRoom. The Department of Defense developed Safe HelpRoom to offer a chat room where military sexual assault survivors can draw on their peers for support in a safe environment.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

You can also visit the peer support page, which is part of the US Department of Veterans Affairs. There, you can find a variety of communities, both online and in person, that provide support for military colleagues living with post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Real Warriors

Another potentially helpful organization is Real Warriors, which provides resources to all active and former service colleagues so that they can pursue mental health care.

Other resources 

For other resources, you might choose to reach out to the United States VA, state and local VA offices, and other military-associated organizations that offer services to active-duty service colleagues, veterans, and their dependents. You can also search for military support networks in your area that may have virtual options. If you’re looking for romantic relationships, you might consider a military singles chat room.

Find support with online therapy

Online therapy is as effective as in-person therapy for treating mental health conditions that may affect service people, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. In one study, researchers assessed the efficacy of an online mental health program for veterans living with PTSD and depression. 

The study's results showed that online therapy could significantly reduce symptoms of both mental health conditions and eliminate common barriers to treatment service they may experience. Researchers noted that many veterans do not experience care because of these obstacles but stated that online therapy could help fill that treatment gap.

For service people or others who are looking to address PTSD, depression, or similar mental health-related concerns, online therapy can help. With online platforms such as BetterHelp, you can choose to connect with a licensed therapist remotely. If you find it difficult to leave home or aren't yet comfortable discussing your emotions face to face, you can participate in therapy through video call, voice call, or in-app messaging. 

Research also shows that EMDR is an effective treatment for PTSD in veterans and may be offered online.