"Everyone almost takes it for granted when they hear news reports fumbling over the idea that a soldier’s return is not easy. After all, didn’t one of my great grandfathers return from the Great War, and be allowed to sit in corners of rooms, clothes horse draped with blankets around him, only eating from tin cups and plates and being uncommunicative? Let’s face it, he was lucky to be alive, no one thought they could cure the ‘shell shock’ as it was labelled..–to come back was considered to be lucky! Don’t we just accept socially that a solder’s lot is to feel and bear pain and strife in times of war? And what do we do about it? What do we really know about it? Can we fix it?


Post Traumatic Stress Disorder doesn’t just occur with Veterans but it is often caused or triggered by a traumatic event perhaps as a participant or as an observer.


Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) include acute anxiety, isolation, intrusive thoughts, emotional numbness, depression, nightmares and in extreme cases, flashbacks and thoughts of suicide.


For some, medication and a variety of therapies are on offer and are received to bring relief. However, for many out there, and the emotional scarring that is already on the edges of a gaping wound of hell, refuses to heal over and Vets can begin to think that they will never get better.


The National Center on PTSD (USA) has already reported that 40% of those who have fought in Afghanistan or Iraq will have acquired this disorder.


That’s a lot of men and women and their families and partners who need help.


There are many innovative therapies available today to help veterans manage their neuro chemistry which is critical and essential to their ability to recover.


The most important thing for any Veteran who thinks they may be suffering from PTSD or who has been diagnosed with PTSD is to understand that THEY ARE NOT INSANE AND THEY ARE NOT ALONE. The fact that they have survived either being part of these events or witnessing these events is testament to their mental strength. What they saw was real and the world can be a cruel place. They have survived and the brain is reacting in such a way because it is trying to protect them.


There is a tendency for defence force personnel to view psychological help as being indicative of weakness, but this needs to be reframed. It is a sign of being proactive and of sound mind and emotional strength to manage your own psyche. Your mind determines not only your mental health but your physical health too. Ignoring help can leave you feeling even more trapped, anxious or suicidal than before.


Not seeking help may affect ALL your relationships and the longer you delay – the more your day to day living may deteriorate.


Even if you think you are ok – if you have been in a similar situation – why not seek out an appointment with someone who knows how to treat PTSD to make sure you’re not going to collapse in a heap in two years’ time –why not get some strategies for ‘in-case’ the nightmares or thoughts appear . This forward planning will prove your strength of mind and possibly keep you healthy, keep your relationships healthy and keep you living the life you want to live.


BUT MOST OF ALL..Seek help if you think you might need it – If you are in the UK, places like The Mark Wright Project will be able to point you in the right direction – get a therapist – any type of therapist that you feel comfortable with and work it out. Ideally – Someone offering EMDR or NLP or Hypnosis or EFT will be, in my opinion, the quickest route to health . 

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