WELLBEING
PTSD AWARE
Mental health affects people in different ways, and reaching out for support is the hardest – yet essential – first step. Unfortunately, many ex-service personnel asking for help can be left behind by civilian medical professionals, but help is available
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veryone has mental health, and one in four people will develop a mental health condition in a single year. Discussions around mental ill health have taken a significant step in the right direction. However, for the Armed Forces community, speaking out can be an internal battle and, for some, finding the right help is a challenge.
MEDICAL ADVICE
One of the most common forms of mental health condition for ex-service personnel is post-traumatic stress (PTSD). This can be experienced after a traumatic experience, such as seeing active combat, is stored in your memory and triggers – for example, loud noises – can leave you experiencing physical symptoms. Panic attacks, a sense of never switching ‘off’, irritability and depression
are just some symptoms of PTSD. Reaching out for medical guidance is crucial, unfortunately, it has been recorded that only three per cent of GPs could diagnose mental health conditions in a veteran. “Very few GPs have ever served in the military,” emphasises Dr Walter Busuttil, the medical director for veteran mental health charity, Combat Stress. “Historically, for example, after WWII everyone knew about the military.” Reduced awareness of the Armed Forces could be seen as a significant reason that many GPs don’t recognise how mental health conditions can differ. For Eddie Blench, an Army veteran who served for over 13 years in countries such as the Falklands, Iraq and Northern Ireland, a lack of awareness saw Eddie live without adequate help for many years.
It’s better to educate the service personnel so when they are veterans they know where to find services UNDERSTAND
“A general GP doesn’t understand the Forces etiquette,” emphasises Eddie. “You are built up to be the way they want you to be: a fighting machine. Aggression becomes a natural thing in the Army, you are taught to be a killer. “Improved understanding from medical professionals would have been a tremendous help. I have been suffering on and off for 20 years, www.advancemagazine.co.uk
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