Please help Combat Stress to bring hope and peace to Veterans on #GivingTuesday.
#GivingTuesday began two years ago in America as a way of encouraging people to support a charity at least one day a year. The idea has now become a global day of giving with charities from all over the world taking part. This #GivingTuesday (2 December 2014), please take the time to donate.
Combat Stress supports over 5,600 Veterans suffering with mental ill-health across the UK. Founded in 1919 after the First World War, we offer psychological treatment to Veterans鈥 suffering with a range of mental health issues including, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), anxiety and depression.
Christmas can be so special for families, but for many Veterans, suffering with psychological wounds, it can be a particularly difficult time. With the last of our troops returned from Afghanistan the demand for our services will be tremendous. Below, Mark Clyde, a Veteran of Afghanistan who injured both physically and psychologically by IED鈥檚 (Improvised Explosive Devise鈥檚) explains how our work with Veterans鈥 is a life line to them and their families.
鈥淢y PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) was triggered after I was blown up twice in the space of 6 weeks in Afghanistan. The first incident happened near Camp Bastion and my colleague was killed when he stood on an IED. I was blown to the floor with shrapnel in my eyes and my face was burning.
鈥淭he second incident happened in Helmand Province. A mate of mine stood on an IED, as we were evacuating him my friend, John, was killed by another. The force of the blast knocked me unconscious.
鈥淎fter the explosions I was flown back home on 1 December. It was John鈥檚 funeral on the 18th, it was a very strange Christmas, not like Christmas at all really. Nothing was the same and everything felt wrong.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realise I had PTSD at first 鈥 I just thought, 鈥榚veryone goes through this don鈥檛 they?鈥 I wasn鈥檛 really sleeping, I was snapping easily, getting agitated, restless and I was hyper-vigilant. It was little things, like going to buy a car, I remember talking to the salesman about the price and I could feel my blood pressure rising and rising. I knew I had to walk out or I might do something stupid. I felt I need help so I called Combat Stress, they don鈥檛 turn anyone away. They don鈥檛 pressurise you, they are just there to help.
鈥滳hristmas is one of those critical times, isn鈥檛 it? If you have PTSD you could be having a really tough time and no one might know. You could be having a nice meal wit, or a laugh with your mates, but instead you feel like you鈥檙e completely alone, like you鈥檝e got no one. Combat Stress can give you that someone鈥
About Combat Stress
In May 2014, Combat Stress marked a milestone 95th anniversary of helping UK veterans with psychological injuries to rebuild their lives.
Founded after the First World War, the work of Combat Stress is as vital today as it was in 1919. The charity has a caseload of over 5,400 veterans, including 662 who have served in Afghanistan.