Mark's Story
“Combat Stress’ treatment means I’m free for the first time ever.”
Army veteran Mark thought he’d buried a traumatic event from his service, until years later when it resurfaced. Plagued by nightmares and flashbacks, it was only after our specialist mental health treatment that Mark found peace.
“My treatment was so life-affirming and just the best thing that ever happened to me. It’s given me a chance to build a stronger me than before,” Mark reflects after completing treatment.
He joined the Army at 17, hoping for a life-long career and to rise through the ranks. After basic training, he went on to complete five years’ service with two tours of Northern Ireland in the late 1980s and postings to Canada and Germany. “I loved Army life,” he says. “The camaraderie and sense of belonging were brilliant. It wasn’t all great though - the highs were high, but the lows were low.”
The turning point came when Mark was posted to Germany aged 20, and had to clean the room after a good friend had taken his own life by shooting himself. “It was gruesome but I got on with it,” he says. “I didn’t realise it had affected me though – it took me years to learn that.”
After this incident, Mark started rebelling against the Army, “acting up” and drinking heavily, which caused his health to suffer. Worried about the impact of his drinking but not realising it was connected to his friend’s death, Mark approached his Squadron Sergeant Major for help. He was sent for treatment to stop his drinking but Mark replaced it with drugs and subsequently left the Army in 1993.
Once on Civvy Street Mark lived a “chaotic” life, drifting between jobs and unable to form lasting relationships. He was still taking lots of drugs: “I thought I was just having a good time but looking back I was self-medicating. I was papering over the cracks.”
In 2018 Mark was asked to identify his brother’s body after he sadly passed away, which he says was the final straw and the “catalyst” for the next few years. “After that, my PTSD really kicked off,” he says.
“Everything I thought I’d buried or dealt with came to the fore. I had flashbacks, was angry and extremely anxious in public places. I was also having what I call ‘visions’ - I can’t call them nightmares as they were so realistic, with textures and smells that transported me back in time. I’d describe my life in that period as grim, depressing and bleak.”
Not knowing what was wrong, Mark sought help through the NHS but once his quota of counselling sessions ended, he didn’t know where to turn. Luckily, he saw our details online and “out of desperation” called our Helpline in 2022. He was diagnosed with Complex PTSD and went on to receive our specialist treatment.
“Finally, it all just clicked,” he says. “The rest is history – my clinician changed my life. She was like a dog with a bone and made me confront things I had buried – and I’m so grateful that she did.”
Mark has now been discharged from our care and is looking forward to living his new life. “I can’t thank Combat Stress enough,” he says. “My life has improved immeasurably. You forget that your family go through PTSD with you and there were some very dark days for my partner and kids but hopefully that’s over now.
“I’ve carried trauma for most of my life and didn’t properly confront it until Combat Stress got involved. Now, I’m free for the first time ever.”
October 2025