Advertiser March 2017 5
Veteran Graham’s road to recovery thanks to Help for Heroes charity When Graham Rogers from Torpoint was signposted to Help for Heroes by a friend two years ago, he was a different man. His first meetings with charity key worker Larry took place in his car outside their Plymouth Recovery Centre, while his wife Sue, a veteran herself, went in alone. At that point Graham’s car was his safe haven; a place he feels comfortable when agoraphobia gets the better of him. While it still is to an extent, he now cites the Recovery Centre as one of his safe places. The anxiety disorder, along with depression, have blighted Graham’s life for years. The 56-year-old left the forces in 1987 after 11 years in the Royal Marines Band Service; a job which he loved. It was memories of his secondary role which he believes have since caused his mental health wounds. “In the Marines you couldn’t just be in the Band Service,” said Graham, “you had to do another job. “So a number of us were trained as medics, ambulance drivers and even firemen. During the fire service strikes in Northern Ireland by day I would be playing music for children, by night I’d be on a Green Goddess, pulling
people, or bodies, from burning buildings. “In the Falklands, I’d be moving people around on stretchers. You never saw how the injury came about, you never saw the end of the story, you dealt with the bits in between. But you weren’t taught how to deal with it in your head, you were just expected to get on with it.” After leaving the Marines, Graham built up a colourful CV. He spent a few years travelling Europe as an HGV driver, then moved into the role of entertainments manager at a holiday park in Wales. After making a decision to gain further qualifications, he completed an access to teaching course, two degrees in music and arts management, and finally qualified as a teacher with a postgraduate certificate in education in 1997. Graham taught music in Plymouth secondary schools for 12 years. But during this time, problems started to surface and in 2001 he suffered his first mental breakdown. He managed to get back to teaching, but his career ended abruptly six years ago when he had another breakdown. This time he was voluntarily sectioned after he was found by
Graham Rogers has taken up his hobby of photography again...thanks to Help for Heroes For the first time in seven years Graham, who receives psychological wellbeing support from Help for Heroes, played an instrument in public in December, accompanying the Recovery Centre’s singing group on keyboard at the Christmas get together. That encouraged him to apply for a place on a week-long residential music therapy course at Tedworth House, another of the charity’s centres in Wiltshire, where he performed with a band, on keyboard and vocals. Another lifelong hobby which his illness put a stop to - photography - has also been back on the cards. Graham took part in a landscape photography course on Dartmoor set up by Help for Heroes with local photographers Adrian Oakes and Lee Humphreys, which helped him develop his interest with Sue’s support.
Support network
Graham pictured during his service years in the Royal Marines police as a missing person. “I managed to get back on my feet with lots of medication and support from Trevillis House in Liskeard. I gradually improved but I was still a danger to myself and have had two more breakdowns since. All three were suicide attempts. “Getting in touch with the Recovery Centre was a last chance for me. There wasn’t much more in my life. When you come to ending it all your wife and kids aren’t enough. It had a huge impact on my family’s lives too. I’d been shut up in my bedroom for nine months. I had a total fear of going out, who would be there and how I would deal with it. You put on what I call ‘the face’. I was a complete wreck, spiralling downhill, but I’d say I was fine. “My wife Sue got me to the Centre; she’s been a rock. She could have walked away and would have been totally justified. I wasn’t the guy she married. She encouraged me to start doing things and with the support of her and Help for Heroes I’m getting out.”
“Sue bought me a new camera so that I had no excuse; she’d spent a lot of money on it so I had to use it. I was getting back to something I’d lost, that the illness curtailed. It’s given me a lifeline. I now go out with some of the other guys from the Centre. I didn’t know if I’d learn anything on the course but it changed the way I view things. It acts as a distraction; a way of shutting the rest of the world off.” Graham is still fighting his demons, but the support network around him and the tools given to him by Help for Heroes to aid his recovery are so important. The charity does not offer a quick fix; it gives support for life, as and when it is needed. “Without Help for Heroes I’d probably still be at home, with Sue trying to get me out of the house, not being able to talk about what’s going on, teetering on the edge. The last time I had a bad period I ended up on the railway tracks in Plymouth. I had it all worked out. I felt like I had nothing left. I can see myself still being like that. “The Recovery Centre has become very important to me. It’s part of my repair plan, to repair what’s gone wrong. Just talking to people and realising you’re not alone is the biggest thing for me. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same guy again, but I have a plan and I hope there’s some way to get back to the person I was.”
Graham Rogers has the confidence to be able to play music again
THE RAME PENINSULA’S LEADING AGENT
Busy time at Porte Rouge
This month at Torcare we are focusing on Porte Rouge where we have a busy few weeks of activities. On Valentine’s Day family and friends were invited to join us for a Valentine’s Day celebration at 3pm. Music duo Tony and Ken will entertain us on Wednesday March 20 at 2.30pm. This is always a popular event. As usual we will celebrate ‘nutrition and hydration week’ featuring food and drink from around the world from March 13 to 19 March and enjoyed by our residents. The fortnightly visits to the Downderry Memory Café remain a regular event where some of our residents can enjoy arts and crafts, reminiscing and making new friends. We are all getting excited at the prospect of hatching some baby chicks in April here at Porte Rouge not least by Max the cat!!
People always come first at Torcare...
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