Mental treatment as key as medical

THE UK has close to five million war veterans.

According to official figures 12.5% of all veterans suffers from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder — the unofficial figure lies between 20–30 %.

Although far from all veterans become traumatised the majority go through an existential crisis after end of deployment and termination of their contract with the forces: everyday challenges and life in general can seem meaningless in comparison with the experiences one has witnessed during war.

Combat Stress, the leading UK charity dealing with the mental health of veterans, has a treatment centre in ayrshire and are in the process of raising funds to establish X Community Outreach teams.

Combat Stress provide a phone helpline and for those veterans who are eligible up to two periods of two weeks of treatment at Hollybush House, Ayrshire a year.

Nature Retreat for Veterans recognises that the origin of traumas and thus the treatment of traumas is not merely a case of certain chemicals being under stimulated, and therefore should not only be treated with drugs.

Equally it should be addressed mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

A recent report on suicide among Danish veterans concludes: “Of detrimental importance when it comes to protecting the veterans against actual suicide and suicidal thoughts is their close relations and the support from these, security for the family, and the opportunity to share their experiences with fellow veterans.”

The benefits of spending time in nature and engaging in non-stressful farm and forest work was first formally introduced to veterans suffering from ‘shell shock’ after World War I.

However, the practice is centuries old.

In recent years, initiatives involving veterans and farming have been reintroduced particularly in the United States due to the rise in the number of traumatised veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Jeff Scanlon, manager of San Diego’s Veteran Affairs Compensated Work Therapy/veterans Industries programme says about one of the initiatives: “Our assessments show that working in a relaxed, outdoors farm environment aids combat veterans’ decompression and adjustment to civilian life. Archi’s Acres VSAT brings to life the benefits of leveraging private and public support for veterans.”