The charity specialises in helping HM Armed Forces and Merchant Navy Armed Forces and Merchant Navy veterans who are suffering from a psychological injury as a result of their Service.

Currently 1,000 new veterans are referred to Combat Stress each year from WWII veterans to younger veterans in their twenties. Through their three specialist treatment centres evidence based therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing, are provided to help veterans cope with their disability and improve their quality of life. A support group ‘Just for Us’ has also been created for their families providing much needed support and information sharing.

LIFE CHANGING

My father was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder a long time after he left the army. For many years living with him was almost unbearable. He is an alcoholic and suffered from terrible mood swings; one minute he would be fine but the tiniest thing would provoke terrible rage in him. There seemed to be no one who could understand my father's reticence in speaking of emotional matters. Our doctor is lovely and really tried, but Father just wasn't prepared to follow the advice. I think army people are bred to have a 'stiff upper lip' and maybe we as a family promoted that - I was terrified of hearing what he had to say. I still am, to be honest. It was not until I was sixteen, when he was put in contact with his regional Combat Stress representative, that it felt like anyone could help us. It was only when Combat Stress got involved that my father agreed to try medication, and started going to the residential centre. This has totally changed our life, taking the most enormous burden off our family. When he suffered a really upsetting relapse a couple of years ago, we were frightened and felt very helpless. The NHS could only do so much, but Combat Stress took over and made sure he was okay. I'm not sure what we would have done if he couldn't have gone to Tyrwhitt House.

He seems to gain the most enormous support from spending time with other soldiers, who he respects, who have suffered as he has. Also I never understood what my mother meant when she spoke of the tender and kind man he used to be. Thanks to this charity, I got to know that man for myself and it has been the most wonderful thing that has
happened to me.