Read Stories > Therapy Helped Marine Navigate Grief and Transition

Marissa’s transition from active-duty service with the U.S. Marine Corps began with a death.

“One of our Marines took his own life, and then next week I was gone,” says Marissa, who was in a leadership position as an air defense control officer. “I was off active duty. I was going into the Reserves. I was moving home with my wife. It was a hard time to transition.”

Marine Corps Reservist’s Advice on Getting Treatment: “Do it for yourself.”

One factor that made that adjustment more challenging, Marissa adds, is that she found it difficult to connect with people and find her purpose after leaving active duty with the Marines.

The influence of family and friends 

Marissa says of her difficulties during the transition: “My wife, my family, my friends, they all saw it, and I didn’t, but I’m just going through the motions or trying to figure it out. So I was closed off. I didn’t want to talk to nobody.” 

By starting the conversation with Marissa about these difficulties, Marissa’s wife was able to encourage her to overcome her reluctance to open up and seek mental health services. 

“I was hesitant for so long to go and get help,” Marissa says. “If it wasn't for her, I would not have gone. I would probably still be struggling to this day.” 

The benefits of therapy 

Once Marissa started therapy, it didn’t take her long to discover its value. “It’s so helpful to just have someone to talk to and me be able to be vulnerable and share my experiences with them,” she says. 

Marissa, diagnosed with depression and anxiety, says therapy also gave her tools to identify and manage her symptoms. For example, therapy has helped her become more confident in situations that make her nervous or anxious. In those moments, she also can better analyze whether there is any reason to feel so nervous—and remind herself that there are people who support her. 

Marissa says therapy has helped her connect with the people she cares about and strengthen her relationships with them. 

Support that’s always there 

For all of her progress, Marissa found it challenging when she experienced another loss after leaving active duty: A friend she made during her initial Marine training died in a helicopter crash on a training exercise. 

“That’s something I’m still working through,” Marissa says. It’s a reminder that mental health is always a work in progress. 

“My advice for anybody going to get mental health [care], do it for yourself,” she says. “Don’t do it for anybody else. Do it because you want to get better. You have support. Whether you see it or not, it’s there.”