The Veterans’ Survival Guide: The Veterans’ Survival Guide: Explaining combat-related PTSD for ex-servicemen and their families

‘Only soldiers can talk to soldiers and understand. Thanks, there are a lot of hurt men out there who need help.’

- Veteran soldier

‘Thank you so much for the Guide. I’ve read it about five times – it’s dead on. If I had known about it before my court case, I wouldn’t be here now.’

- Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Falklands veteran

‘A magnum opus ’

- Major General Dr R. Short, Director General British Army Medical Services 1996–1999

‘Many thanks for sending me your Survival Guide to combat related PTSD. The Guide really opened my eyes and hit me like an express train because it showed me what had been happening and how PTSD had destroyed my life. Once again, many thanks for your work. Hopefully your Guide will open a few people’s eyes to the problems that veterans are facing and for action to be taken to help the ever increasing number of PTSD sufferers. Keep up the good work.’

- Bosnia and Gulf War veteran

‘Watching one’s child suffering PTSD is a heartbreaking experience. It made me feel totally inadequate as a mother, as I could not take away the pain, fear, hurt, anger etc. of my child. I also believed this anger was directed at me personally and found it difficult to understand. The Survival Guide gave me, in words that I can understand, a greater knowledge of PTSD, showing me how to help myself deal with PTSD and therefore help and support my child.’

- Mother of a sufferer of PTSD

‘The Guide brought me to tears. Now I know.’

- Bosnia veteran

‘Thanks. For once there is light at the end of the tunnel, yours is an outstanding and worthy cause, well done’

- Northern Ireland veteran

‘My congratulations on the Survival Guide. I think it is quite outstanding, and for my welfare and clinical staff a really helpful insight into many of the things that they encounter as they go about their work. I will commend this work to anyone who shows more than a passing concern in the issues that you raise.’

- Commodore Toby Elliott, Chief Executive Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society (Combat Stress)

A Statement from the Author

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An Excerpt of the Book

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The Veterans’ Survival Guide

Remember the Surviving Soldiers

Post-traumatic stress disorder affects many servicemen and women returning from tours of duty. Unaware that they are suffering from the condition, upon returning to civilian life they may be left undiagnosed and untreated, with potentially devastating consequences.

The Veterans’ Survival Guide has been written to help veterans and their families to understand the causes, symptoms and very real dangers of PTSD. Sharing the experiences of real soldiers who have been affected by the disorder, the Guide is designed to increase awareness of combat-related PTSD, to help sufferers and their families identify the condition, and to encourage veterans to seek the treatment they need and deserve.

A Foreword

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Testimonies

Praise for The Veterans' Survival Guide

Chapter List

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About This Book

This Book is for Soldiers all over the World Many veterans are paying a hidden and very high price for being well-trained soldiers. They are often unaware that they are carrying psychological injuries from being exposed to life-threatening situations. On their return home, some may find it difficult to fit back into a society at peace.

No one knows exactly how many undiagnosed veterans there might be suffering combat-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after serving in wars and conflicts. It is a shameful paradox that people who chose to serve their country are then overlooked by its government. PTSD is costly for both the veterans and their families and for society at large, needlessly destroying relationships with family and friends, making it difficult to hold down jobs, and sometimes causing destructive, violent or depressive behaviour that can result in substance abuse, crime or suicide.

This book has been written by a former soldier who suffers from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder for soldiers all over the World, both serving and discharged in the hope that it will help them understand their situation.