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Field noteRelationshipsMenStarting overFamily1 minute read

Relationships after prison or service

Reconnecting with a partner and family after long time apart.

Coming home after prison, military service, long work away or hospital can be a joy and a strain.

What can be hard

  • Routines have changed without you
  • Your partner may have become very independent
  • Children have grown
  • You may have changed too
  • There may be things neither of you wants to talk about

Easing back in

  • Go slowly. Do not expect everything to fit straight away
  • Ask how things work now, rather than taking over
  • Talk about what each of you has been through, when ready
  • Get support: many places have services for returning service members and families of people leaving prison

Reconnecting takes time. It is normal for it to feel awkward at first.

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