Support from our Veterans Service - Simon’s story

Posted by Devon Partnership Trust in Mental health, News on 26th June, 2024

To mark Armed Forces Day (Saturday, 29 June), we spoke to Simon, an army veteran, who explains how Alison Gardner, Senior Community Mental Health Practitioner from our Veterans Service, supported him with his mental health and encouraged him to become sober.

Simon’s story:

“I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) about 12 years ago, when I was living in Essex. Upon diagnosis, I was given no information about the condition and I received no aftercare. So I ended up just ignoring it and my life spun completely out of control. I started drinking and I ended up homeless for six years.

“In 2016, I went to rehab in Plymouth. I then moved to Exeter, but I was still struggling with alcoholism. I got in touch with TALKWORKS who then referred me to the Veterans Service. I was hesitant about contacting the service as I hadn’t served in the military very long and I thought I was taking help away from people who deserved it more than me.

“However, after meeting Alison for the first time she reassured me that I was deserving of support. She was fantastic. When you go through a lifetime of therapy, you get an idea of who’s going to help you and who’s not straight away. I clicked with Alison and the rapport was there from the start. She helped me with my alcohol addiction and supported me with my mental health. I saw Alison for a total of 18 months, and at the beginning we saw each other once a week, which is what I needed at the time. Seeing her so regularly stopped me from drinking – the routine really helped.

“I realised that alcoholism can often come hand-in-hand with BPD and can be a coping mechanism, which made me understand why I used to drink. It made me see why things had happened the way they did. I’m a big believer that if you can understand something, you can attempt to stop it. Alison helped me reframe things and put things in a different light. She had the power to say just one remark that could switch my entire thinking.

“After seeing Alison for about eight months, she said she wanted to screen me for ADHD. I was initially a bit cynical but I trusted her completely at this point. I was screened and got a diagnosis. I was able to speak openly with Alison throughout this process and I felt safe and comfortable to ask any questions I wanted to. She made things easy to understand, and we’d even have a laugh together. I’m on medication for my ADHD now and that’s worked absolute wonders.  

“During my time with Alison, I also started volunteering with the Together Drug & Alcohol Service, which I have now done for five years. This helped keep me sober and it feels great to be part of a community.

“I’ve been sober five years now, which is down to Alison and the Veterans Service. She is so inspirational – so much so that I now want to pursue a career in mental health or psychology and follow in her footsteps. She is an amazing woman.

“I would 100% recommended the Veterans Service – always! Reaching out for help makes such a difference.”            

Our Veterans Service supports veterans across Devon (excluding Plymouth) who are concerned about their mental health. They offer assessments for military-related trauma, consultation advice, signposting and referral to the most appropriate service to meet the veteran’s needs. Find out more about the team and the support they offer in their ‘Spotlight On’ article.