I get days when I’m OK, but then it all crashes down
Stevie Carle, 49, who fought in the first Gulf War, said he used recreational drugs to help escape the horrors of war after leaving the Army.
The former Royal Engineer lost friends in combat and still suffers debilitating flashbacks and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
He said soldiers use drugs as they think it is helps them deal with mental health challenges.
Mr Carle said: “If you think about what our boys and girls have gone through over the last 20 years in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Sierra Leone, I can understand why they use drugs to cope.
“I don’t sympathise nor condone them, but I can empathise with them.
“I get days, weeks, even months when I’m OK but then it all comes crashing down again.
“It’s always there, in the background. I have gone seven days without sleep. Your body just shuts down and you start hallucinating.
“It’s hard to be normal when you return from combat. Remember some of these guys could be as young as 18, straight out of a factory and into a war zone.”
Stevie is supported by the Help For Heroes Hidden Wounds service which provides free and confidential support to serving and former forces personnel and their families, who are living with anxiety, depression, stress, anger or addiction issues.