Support from our Veterans Service - Ian’s story

Posted by Devon Partnership Trust in Mental health, News on 28th June, 2024

For Armed Forces Day (Saturday, 29 June), we spoke to navy veteran Ian, who says the support he received from our Veterans Service transformed his life.

Ian’s story:

“I had used my post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to survive and to ‘beat’ anxiety but it made me prickly and feel as if I wasn’t ‘normal’ in certain situations. I got to the point where I’d had enough. I’d had a lot of loss (career and family) and I felt lonely. I carried massive guilt and my motivation was gone. I associated anxiety with timid people but it didn’t fit with how I saw myself. It drowns you.

“I initially found it hard to reach out for help. I found myself thinking; ‘There’s no cure, I’ll deal with it myself and there are people worse off than me.’ However, I began to realise I had nothing to lose, so I ended up having a phone assessment with a counsellor and I was referred to the Veterans Service.

“The most important thing that I felt from the service was trust. It was really important to me that whoever I saw showed me that they care – I am hypervigilant and I can tell if someone is genuine.

“I received a diagnosis which gave me understanding and I gained a lot of information. I have been in treatment for two years now. I started therapy with Op Courage, with the Veterans Service supporting alongside. Having someone to check in and talk to me after therapy sessions has been really helpful. My therapist demonstrated she genuinely cared from the first session – otherwise I don’t think I could have continued. You have to be prepared to be very vulnerable as they see all sides of you and your emotions. I’ve overcome my embarrassment of being a crying man (at times).

“It’s been a long journey with lots of ups and downs, but the results are profound. The light came in all of a sudden and now the blinkers are off. It’s refreshing. I’ve got my life back. I feel so much more relaxed and my thought processes are now filled with positivity. I can now weigh things up properly and the pressure in my head has eased.

“It’s never too late to get help – it doesn’t matter how old you are or how much life you have left. It’s about how you feel now and how you wake up the next day.

“This service has been more important to me than a heart surgeon. My life has been transformed.”

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.

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Support from our Veterans Service - Ian’s story

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