Combat Stress (charitable organisation)

Combat Stress is a registered charity in the United Kingdom. ^[1][2] offering residential and community treatment to former members of the British Armed Forces suffering from a range of mental health conditions including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).^[3] Combat Stress provides treatment for all Veterans suffering with mental ill-health, free of charge. On average it takes 13 years for a Veteran to come to Combat Stress for treatment, however for those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan the time period is much lower.

The charity was formed in 1919, as the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society, following the First World War when the effects of shell shock were becoming known.^[4]

Before 1919

First World War

The soldiers returning home from First World War suffered greatly from the horrors they had witnessed. Many returning veterans suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, called shell shock at the time.

In 1915 The British Army in France was instructed that:

In August 1916 Charles Myers was made Consulting Psychologist to the Army. He hammered home the notion that it was necessary to create special centres near the line using treatment based on:

• Promptness of action.
• Suitable environment.
• Psychotherapeutic measures.

He also used hypnosis with limited success.

In December 1916 Gordon Holmes was put in charge of the northern, and more important, part of the western front. He had much more of the tough attitudes of the Army and suited the prevailing military mindset and so his view prevailed. By June 1917 all British cases of “Shell-shock” were evacuated to a nearby neurological centre and were labelled as NYDN–Not Yet Diagnosed Nervous”. "But, because of the Adjutant-General’s distrust of doctors, no patient could receive that specialist attention until Form AF 3436 had been sent off to the man’s unit and filled in by his commanding officer."^[5] This created significant delays but demonstrated that between 4-10% of Shell-shock W cases were "commotional" (due to physical causes) and the rest were "emotional". This killed off shell-shock as a valid disease and it was abolished in September 1918.

During the war, 306 British soldiers were executed for cowardice, many of them victims of shell shock.^[6] On 7 November 2006 the government of the United Kingdom gave them all a posthumous conditional pardon.^[7][8] The Shot at Dawn Memorial in Staffordshire commemorates these men.

Present work

Combat Stress was formed at a time when there was little known about mental health problems affecting ex-Service men and women who had returned home after serving in conflict zones.

Currently the organisation is helping over 5,900 people who are Veterans of the UK Armed Forces^[9] from 19 to 97. Combat Stress are currently treating 971 Veterans who served in Afghanistan and 1,185 who served in Iraq.

Support is currently being given to those who suffer from:^[10]

• Clinical depression
• Raised anxiety states
• Substance abuse (drug and alcohol) ^[11]
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

This support is delivered throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland through three treatment centres (Hollybush House, Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland; Audley Court, Newport, Shropshire, England and Tyrwhiytt House, Leatherhead, Surrey, England) and community outreach teams.

Services

The services provided:^[12]

• Regional Welfare officers
• Treatments for PTSD which include:
  • CBT: Cognitive behavioural therapy
  • Behaviour therapy
  • Cognitive therapy
  • Solution-focused therapy
  • Art therapy
  • Anger management
  • Anxiety management
  • Sleep hygiene
  • Social skills training
  • Physical exercise and outdoor activity
  • Occupational and recreational therapies
• Treatment centres

See also

• Royal Navy
• British Army
• Royal Air Force
• The Royal British Legion
• Army Benevolent Fund
• Royal Air Forces Association

Notes and references