A while back I had the pleasure to be invited to a fundraiser for the Combat Stress charity that was held in an English town that has a significant military presence.
Although it was a fun event the reasons for it are anything but fun. Thousands of British service personnel suffer from the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other psychological problems caused by the stress of military service.
During the speeches made by supporters of the charity, many of them ex-service personnel and relatives of service personnel, a shocking picture of the effects of PTSD emerged. One speaker said that more veterans of the Falklands conflict have died because of PTSD than died on the battlefields itself. Also, we were told that there is an average time lag of 13 years from the traumatic event experienced and the effects of PTSD emerging. This means that an ex-serviceman or woman can be living a normal life when suddenly, the flashbacks, hyper vigilance and other symptoms come out.
We were also informed that out of all the charities catering for service personnel and ex-service personnel, Combat Stress is the least well funded. This should change. We ask a lot of our service personnel and we should help them when the effects of their service come back to haunt them and their families.
So, if you are thinking of donating to a charity then why not support one that supports those ex-service personnel who are suffering from an unseen but sometimes deadly condition.
Please give as generously as you can to Combat Stress and help to protect those who have protected us.
Click on the links below to donate to Combat Stress and to find out more about the work of this valuable organisation.
To Donate
https://www.combatstress.org.uk/support-us/donate/
More about the work of Combat Stress
