Working on your wellbeing Army life can seem like an endurance test, particularly if you’re new to it, so looking after your mental health is key. Jill Misson reports…

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ELL, you must have known what you were letting yourself in for when you married a soldier.” How many times have you heard that old chestnut? People have no idea what a culture shock it can be. Army spouse Katie Mills recalled: “I was not prepared, and my mind was in turmoil. I didn’t understand the lingo and had so many questions. The worst part is when your partner is away and you’re

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staring at the blank walls of your new home trying to comprehend the world you’re now part of.”

WHEN WORRIES ESCALATE Practical information is often easy to access by asking a neighbour, reading a hand-out or popping into the HIVE. Other concerns are more personal, as AFF’s Wiltshire Co-ordinator Carol Morris explained: “There’s a sense of the unknown. Will I make new

friends? Can we cope on one wage until I find a job? “Some find the lifestyle claustrophobic and feel that everyone on the patch knows their business.” For 18-year-old Anastasia Cuthbertson, the first posting a long way from home has been hard. She said: “I gave up my education so we could be together as a family. It has been character-building, but I can’t finish my studies because of the cost of childcare.” Anastasia relies on her local

friends for guidance, which is very common according to Carol: “The majority of young spouses will ask someone they met at the school gate or at a coffee morning and some may post on social media. “Sometimes they don’t have the confidence to approach their welfare team or don’t want to be seen as a welfare case.”

SEEK HELP The charity Home-Start has a long record of working with @ArmyandYou