Care and Support for Military Veterans

Military service can shape mental health, physical well-being, relationships, and personal identity long after your uniformed service ends. Veterans may experience anxiety, depression, chronic pain, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, service-connected disabilities, or difficulty adjusting to changes in their bodies, roles, and relationships.

At Afterglow Behavioral & Sexual Health, LLC, we provide compassionate, veteran-informed mental health care that respects the experiences, strengths, and sacrifices of those who have served. We support veterans as they navigate emotional wellness, self-confidence, relationship concerns, life transitions, and the effects of illness or injury.

When concerns related to intimacy, sexual functioning, desire, body image, or connection are also present, our specialized sexual wellness services offer a professional and judgment-free space to address them. You deserve care that recognizes your whole experience—not only your diagnosis, disability, or military history.

man in white dress shirt and black jacket holding man in black jacket

44%

31%

Have a confirmed mental health diagnosis

Veterans experience sexual health concerns

You are more than a diagnosis, disability rating, injury, or military record. You deserve care that respects your service, understands the complexity of life afterward, and helps you move forward without judgment or shame.

Veteran Mental Health Matters

Mental health concerns are common among Veterans and should never be viewed as weakness or personal failure. In 2023, 31% of Veterans using Veterans Health Administration services had a confirmed mental health diagnosis, including 14% with a confirmed PTSD diagnosis. More than 1.7 million Veterans received mental health services through the VA during its most recently reported year. These figures apply to Veterans using VA healthcare and do not represent every Veteran in the United States.

Afterglow supports Veterans experiencing concerns such as:

Anxiety, depression, anger, or emotional disconnection
Difficulty adjusting to civilian life, disability, illness, or injury
Changes in identity, independence, confidence, or sense of purpose
Chronic pain, sleep difficulties, or stress related to medical conditions
Body image concerns following surgery, injury, amputation, or physical changes
Relationship conflict, caregiving changes, or difficulty communicating
Mental health effects associated with military sexual trauma

Our goal is not to define you by what happened during or after your service. Therapy can help you understand how those experiences continue to affect your life and develop practical ways to improve emotional health, relationships, and quality of life.

When Mental Health and Sexual Wellness Intersect

Sexual wellness is closely connected to mental health, physical health, body image, medication effects, relationship satisfaction, and overall well-being. Research consistently shows that Veterans with PTSD face an increased risk of difficulties involving desire, arousal, erectile function, orgasm, satisfaction, and intimate relationships. However, reported rates vary considerably because Veteran populations, health conditions, and research methods differ across studies.

In one VA study of 247 Veterans who had recently served in Iraq or Afghanistan, nearly 18% screened positive for sexual-functioning difficulties. Depression, PTSD, being female, and having a higher service-connected disability rating were associated with greater difficulty.

Combat-related injuries, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, hormonal changes, mental health symptoms, and medication side effects may also contribute to changes in sexual functioning.

Veterans may experience:

Reduced desire or difficulty becoming aroused
Erectile, lubrication, or orgasmic changes
Pain, fatigue, or discomfort during intimacy
Performance anxiety or fear of disappointing a partner
Shame, anger, avoidance, or emotional detachment
Difficulty trusting, communicating, or remaining emotionally present
Changes in body image or sexual confidence
Relationship strain related to caregiving or physical limitations

These concerns are real, valid, and often treatable. Sexual wellness is not a luxury—it can be an important part of emotional health, relationship satisfaction, and quality of life.

Rebuilding Connection on Your Terms

Intimacy after military service may not look exactly as it once did. That does not mean connection, affection, confidence, or pleasure must disappear.

At Afterglow, we help Veterans and their partners explore:

The emotional effects of illness, injury, disability, and body changes
Communication strategies for expressing needs, concerns, and boundaries
Ways to rebuild emotional and physical closeness
Adaptations that support comfort, mobility, and accessibility
Sexual confidence without pressure to perform
Changes in desire, arousal, orgasm, or sexual functioning
Relationship dynamics affected by pain, disability, or caregiving
Support related to military sexual trauma and intimate relationships

Care is individualized. Sexual concerns are never assumed and are only discussed when they are relevant to your goals, mental health, relationship, or quality of life.

Care Built on Clinical and Lived Understanding

Afterglow’s founder, Dr. Ryan Kent, is both a clinician and a disabled Veteran. His perspective is informed by professional training as well as personal understanding of how military service and service-connected conditions can affect identity, emotional well-being, confidence, relationships, and the body.

Afterglow was created to provide Veterans with a respectful space where difficult or deeply personal concerns can be discussed openly. You do not have to minimize your experience, defend your needs, or pretend that everything is fine.

This is professional care strengthened by lived understanding.

You Have Carried Enough Alone

Seeking support does not diminish your strength or your service. It creates an opportunity to understand what you are carrying and decide what healing, connection, and confidence can look like now.

You deserve mental health care that recognizes your full humanity—including the emotional, relational, physical, and sexual parts of your life.

Healing begins with understanding. Growth begins with Afterglow.

Afterglow is not an emergency or crisis-response service. For immediate crisis support in the United States, call 988 or text 988.