Blog: Armed Forces and Mental Health

Armed Forces and Mental Health

 

Soldiers coming home—that should be a joyous celebration. Coming home, reuniting with family, receiving a hero’s welcome. However, while a soldier’s physical battles might be over, their mental battles may have only just begun.

 

Years ago, soldiers were often told, “It’s all in your head—stiff upper lip and get on with life!” Ironically, the phrase “It’s all in your head” is true. The battles they’ve faced, seeing their friends and comrades die in front of them, the shock of bombs and grenades—it’s all in their heads and can haunt them for the rest of their lives through flashbacks, trauma, and feelings of reliving the battles when they should be safe with loved ones. The most common mental health issues among service personnel and veterans include depression, anxiety, and alcohol dependency. Some people experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Mental Health Foundation, 2023).

 

Fortunately, times have changed, and more soldiers are coming forward to ask for help, understanding that it’s better to seek support than to suffer in silence. Two charities I know and support are Help for Heroes  and The Royal British Legion (Poppy Appeal), both of which help soldiers with their physical and mental struggles and assist in rebuilding lives after war. You can also find more information about charities that support soldiers, veterans, and their loved ones here, NHS Armed Forces Community Charities.

 

This year, the Royal British Legion’s primary focus for the Poppy Appeal is to support soldiers’ mental health. As this video shows, their uniforms may protect them physically, but nothing can shield them from the mental scars of war unless we help.

 

Since it’s November and Armistice Day is approaching, I’ll end with a poem I used to hear while marching in the Remembrance Parade when I worked with St John Ambulance:

 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:  

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.  
 At the going down of the sun and in the morning,  

 We will remember them.

 

Lest we forget. 

 

Extract from the Poem For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon