Veterans PTSD Support
1 Queen's Regiment
Highlighting Combat Stress
PTSD is a complex and debilitating condition that can affect every aspect of your life.
The experience of traumatic events through Combat Operations leave a significant number of our Veterans with deep psychological wounds which civilians find hard to understand. Many feel isolated and laden with guilt, questioning why they survived when their brothers did not.
Seeking help is not a sign of weakness. Many have had the same experiences as you.
My Silent Battle...
So You Wanted To Join The Army...
Soldier author on combat and PTSD
BBC documentary about Combat Stress PTSD
"Several times a week, Ken wakes up in the dead of night. It takes a while for him to catch his breath. He is sweating profusely and the sheets are wringing wet. He is shaking and often crying.
Slowly, his nightmare fades. Still breathless, he gets up, splashes water on his face and makes a cup of tea to steady his nerves. Then he sits in the friendless silence of his kitchen, thinking.
He cannot tell me – a doctor, but a stranger to him – what his nightmares are about; only that for years he had to manage them on his own, not wishing to disturb his wife. But, since March this year, he has had someone to talk to. That was when Combat Stress, the military charity specialising in the care of the mental health of veterans and serving soldiers, quietly launched a 24-hour helpline. The voice on the other end of the phone has made all the difference to his life"
Nic Fothergill, Psychologist and Vietnam Veteran's developing aggressive behaviour, was a product of repressed memories that eventually dragged him into a state of emotional breakdown 20 years after the war.
"Every soldier - male or female- who goes into war, is going to be damaged in some way, permanently," says Fothergill. And, regardless of today's advanced combat technology that promises "swift resolutions", we are still seeing psychological casualties among troops.
As a lecturer in PTSD, he produced a series of highly acclaimed videos, exploring and explaining the cause and effects of PTSD, and how we may deal with it. These are now being widely used in the UK, to help give a better understanding.
"You're not in the forces now".... By Psychologist / Vietnam Veteran Nic Fothergill
You're Not In The Forces Now Part 1
You're Not In The Forces Now Part 2
You're Not In The Forces Now Part 3
You're Not In The Forces Now Part 4
You're Not In The Forces Now Part 5
Veteran's experience...
PTSD For Families
Caring for a loved one who is suffering from PTSD can often be extremely hard for you at times.
Trying to keep a calm and untroubled environment for them when you cannot control outside influences...
Most civilians, whether it's work colleagues or other family members, have little or no understanding of the effects of PTSD.
It is important, that close family should be made aware, as the sufferer finds it hard just dealing with their own problems.
There are Carer Support Groups who are there to help you and others, in the same position as you for you to talk to.