Land, Sea & Air - Stories from the Armed Forces
Society & Culture:Documentary
Mark Perryman, RAF Veteran and Commercial Manager, Defence Medical Welfare Service
“It’s a myth that everybody in the Armed Forces is either mad, bad or sad – it’s just not true”. For World Mental Health Day, we’re chatting with Mark Perryman from the Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS). A former RAF medic whose Service career has had a positive impact on his mental health, making him “more resilient” and able to help others.
With origins in WWII, DMWS has been working throughout the Covid-pandemic on wards and also supporting NHS staff and the blue light services. Their Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses also continue in a Covid-secure way, training people to support someone in mental distress. Mental distress is certainly being exacerbated by the anxiety of living through this pandemic and “stigma around mental health is not confined to the Armed Forces” (AF).
We hear about the AF specific version of the MHFA training, “most people go through their Service career and transition back to being a civilian satisfactorily, but for the percentage that do find it a struggle, it’s important to support them.”
We discuss Service-related issues, including barriers to seeking help and awareness of services available for Veterans including the ‘Transition Intervention and Liaison Service’ and ‘Complex Treatment Service’. We touch upon long-term separation and its impact upon Service families, Vicarious Trauma suffered by partners of people with PTSD and understanding pre-Service vulnerability.
Lockdown has had a big impact on the mental health of elderly Veterans and we discuss the big issue of loneliness and social isolation. Mark also explains how some Veterans feel they don’t fit in with the rest of society and the complex issue of ‘Moral Injury’.
We all have mental health be it ‘good’ or ‘bad’, the message here is that it’s “critical to have non-judgemental conversations.”
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This podcast is supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
If you’re a member of the Armed Forces community and need support with your mental health, Op Courage can help.
Or you could phone the Combat Stress Helpline on: 0800 138 1619
Company of Makers exists to support veterans and their families who are struggling on civvy street no matter how long ago they left the armed forces.
We do this by running a programme of Podcasts | Talks | Workshops.
Company of Makers are trying to reach, and better understand, all members of the armed forces community who are also gamers. We’re especially interested in those that have served in conflicts over the last 30 years.
To find out more contact us.
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