Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to have seen active Service to be eligible for treatment?
Do I have to pay for treatment?
How long will I have to wait for help?
What will happen when I am admitted to one of the treatment centres?
Will I have to talk about my experiences?
Will I get better?
Is it good for individuals to be surrounded by other veterans who will remind them of their experiences?
If a veteran’s condition deteriorates and they need urgent help can you help?
Why is there a delayed reaction to the trauma?
Does Combat Stress treat ex-servicemen with alcohol/addictive disorders?
Is there a particular type of person that is especially vulnerable to psychological problems?
When was Combat Stress founded?
How many people do you help at this present time?
What is the ratio of male and female veterans?
Presumably they were injured during World War Two. Does this mean that you will soon run out of patients?
Why are there only three treatment centres offering residential care?
Why is the NHS not treating people with PTSD?
Who can I talk to:
When can I visit?
Do I have to have seen active Service to be eligible for treatment?
No – if you have served in any of Her Majesty’s Forces or Merchant Navy you are eligible.
Do I have to pay for treatment?
No – The Society raises the money to pay for treatment.
How long will I have to wait for help?
About four to six weeks for one of our Welfare Officers to visit you at home.
What will happen when I am admitted to one of the treatment centres?
In the first instance you will visit one of our centres for a one week assessment after which a care plan may be drawn up. Further treatment will emanate from this assessment and it is then the choice of the veteran to engage with this treatment.
Will I have to talk about my experiences?
You don’t have to do anything or say anything until you feel safe and happy to do so.
Will I get better?
Although we can not guarantee a cure, nobody can, the majority of our veterans feel better and more in control of their lives with our help.
Is it good for individuals to be surrounded by other veterans who will remind them of their experiences?
We provide specialised treatment and care in an ex-Service environment and it is the latter factor that our veterans find so reassuring, like returning to the family. It is the structure with which they can identify. They also find it very comforting that other ex-Service men and women are suffering with similar conditions and this provides an excellent platform on which to base their care and treatment.
If a veteran’s condition deteriorates and they need urgent help can you help?
No. We are not a rapid reaction force but we will direct the individual to local medical or psychiatric services.
Why is there a delayed reaction to the trauma?
Some veterans may have managed to contain the emotional problems attributable to their service for many years until faced with the memory of certain events. For example, VE Day caused a rise in referrals.
Does Combat Stress treat ex-servicemen with alcohol/addictive disorders?
Yes but we do not provide a detox service. The veteran must agree to abstain before being admitted to the treatment programme. Dependency issues and strategies to overcome them are addressed during treatment.
Is there a particular type of person that is especially vulnerable to psychological problems?
No. Psychological problems can occur in anyone. It is not a sign of weakness or fallibility.
When was Combat Stress founded?
It was established in 1919, at the end of the First World War. During this time vast numbers of service men were returned to civilian life suffering the effects of what was then known as ‘shell shock’. Many of those unfortunate people were wrongly and unnecessarily confined in lunatic asylums, as at the time there was no other provision. The founding Trustees, mainly women, believed that this was not the way to rehabilitate such casualties, believing that the way in which this could be achieved was through training these men in such a way that they could return to work.
How many people do you help at this present time?
To date we have helped some 90,000 people. We currently have just over 8,000 veterans on our books..
What is the ratio of male and female veterans?
Currently we have only a small percentage of female veterans (3%) on our books (England and Wales – 2.3%, Scotland – 1.6%, Ireland – 7.2%).
Presumably they were injured during World War Two. Does this mean that you will soon run out of patients?
No, although some of our patients are WW2 veterans, they have been followed by another generation of ex-Service men and women casualties. Veterans are aged between their twenties and their eighties. British forces have been in action throughout the world continuously since 1945 except for one year, and we are dealing with veterans from all these campaigns. It is seldom appreciated that the number of psychiatric casualties of war far exceeds those who are killed or physically disabled. We are also beginning to see a significant number suffering PTSD with experience of peacekeeping operations. It is significant that approximately one third of our veterans have Northern Ireland experience, reflecting both the traumatic nature of service in Northern Ireland and the length of time this campaign has been going on.
Why are there only three treatment centres offering residential care?
This is a matter of resources. Mental health is not an easy cause to raise charitable funds for. The Society does all it can within its resources, but recognises that there is so much more that it could be doing if the funds were available.
Why is the NHS not treating people with PTSD?
It is, but the service is very patchy and with the many demands on the NHS it may often not be seen as a priority. There are very few specialist services to meet the treatment needs of this veteran group.
Who can I talk to:
Our clinical staff will be happy to spend some time with you or be available over the phone.
When can I visit?
Our treatment centres have open visiting times, but it is advisable to phone first so that visits do not clash with therapy sessions.
