Combat Stress

We’re delighted to share that our groundbreaking Complex-PTSD (C-PTSD) treatment service, VICTOR, has been announced as a winner at the Soldiering On Awards 2024! VICTOR was awarded the Healthcare and Rehabilitation award, which honours those who have made a significant contribution to the welfare of service personnel. Since its launch in 2022, VICTOR, our intensive treatment service for PTSD, has delivered outstanding outcomes for veterans, with 96% of veterans who have completed the treatment showing clinically significant reductions in PTSD symptoms and 75% showing clinically significant improvements in Complex-PTSD. This is the only service of its kind available to veterans in the UK. Dr Naomi Wilson, Associate Clinical Director and Head of Psychological Therapies at Combat Stress, says, ‘We’re incredibly proud of this leading-edge service for veterans with complex mental health needs, most of whom have been unwell for years, if not decades. We’re delighted to be achieving such outstanding levels of recovery. Every veteran who seeks our help deserves to be well and live well, and this is what we are delivering.’ Congratulations also to the Combat Stress Learning and Development team, who were nominated and received a finalist award for the Education, Training and Development category, which honours providers of vocational training and skills development for members of the Armed Forces sector. The Learning and Development team has established a platform that provides vital military-focused mental health education to over 100 UK charities and services. Led by Combat Stress clinicians, our Learning Community platform delivers interactive online learning to over 350 individuals, including live events and forums about suicide prevention. #SoldieringOnAwards2024

At Combat Stress, we use Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) to help veterans who experience strong feelings of shame or guilt linked to military trauma and violence, or who hold negative views about themselves such as thoughts that they are worthless, useless or bad. Click here to read about Be Your Own Ally, our CFT group developed to help veterans learn self-compassion: https://ow.ly/kQz550TMI2I #compassion #compassionfocusedtherapy #veteranscharity

There are 20 days to go until #WaggyTrails and we can't wait to see you all embark on your challenges! It's not too late to sign up - get your paws muddy this November and raise vital funds for veterans' mental health: https://lnkd.in/eEBeiMT2

In honour of the theme of this year’s #WorldMentalHealthDay, ‘Mental Health at Work’, we’re raising awareness of how best to support organisations working with veterans. Veterans' military experience will often enable them to thrive in workplaces after leaving service. Many former service personnel will have the ability to improvise under pressure, work well in teams and carry a strong sense of purpose, identity and pride. However, the transition from the military to a civilian workforce can create initial challenges, including roles and expectations, and understanding civilian culture. Veterans may also experience mental health difficulties as a result of their service, requiring awareness, support and treatment. Developed by the Clinical team at Combat Stress, we’ve created a free self-help guide for organisations working with veterans which includes tips, strategies and contact details for our free, 24-hour Helpline. Click here to view the guide: https://ow.ly/6xo050TICTp

Here at Combat Stress, we recognise that difficult life events can result in self-criticism and strong feelings of anger and shame. Shame can cut us off from the support and understanding of other people, and it can become difficult to be compassionate towards ourselves. This may be particularly hard for veterans who have experienced trauma or moral injury during their military service. Click here to read about how we help veterans understand the effects of traumatic experiences and develop self-compassion skills: https://ow.ly/t8I650THAJ8 #compassion #compassionfocusedtherapy #veteranscharity

Today, we opened the doors of our England South Hub to our supporters for a tour of our facilities. Guests met our CEO, Chloe Mackay, and gained valuable insight from our clinicians about the specialist treatment we provide to veterans with complex mental health conditions. If you didn’t attend the Open Day but would like to attend similar events in the future, please head to our website to see what’s on offer: https://ow.ly/TzhS50TGPv2 #OpenDay #VeteransCharity #SupportOurTroops

Yesterday, Sujan Katuwal completed his 3000-mile walking challenge to raise funds for Combat Stress. Commencing on 16 January 2024, Sujan’s challenge started at the Embassy of Nepal in London and saw him walk over ten miles a day for 200 days. In recognition of their dedication to our charity, Sujan and his wife, Bandana, were presented with the Prime Minister’s Points of Light award earlier this year. We were delighted to honour Sujan’s incredible commitment to our charity and commemorate his challenge by attending a dinner at the House of Lords, where Robert Marsh, Director of Fundraising at Combat Stress, thanked him for his ongoing support. Click here to read more about Sujan’s challenge, and donate to his fundraising page: https://lnkd.in/eDDu5yeE #VeteransCharity #GivingBack

Autumn is officially here, and we’ve got some brand new hoodies and sweatshirts in the Combat Stress shop to mark the cooler weather. Click here to view our full range, and buy yours today: https://lnkd.in/eXTahuFU #GivingBack #SupportOurVeterans

What is a Secret Postcard Auction? Our Secret Postcard Auction offers our supporters the chance to bid on artwork from some of the UK’s leading artists, who will be auctioning pieces in support of our charity. All art submitted will be entered into an anonymous auction which gives all bidders the chance to secure a unique piece of art. Artists can donate up to three pieces of art each. Submissions will also include artwork from veterans who undertaken art therapy and other creative sessions at Combat Stress. Enter our Secret Postcard Auction now for early bird access to our exclusive online galleries and the chance to win two free tickets to our live launch event in London*, plus more exciting perks for 2024. Don’t miss out - click here to sign up today: https://lnkd.in/g5BSSpDE *Terms and Conditions apply. #PostcardAuction2024 #ArtForACause #BidForGood

On 12 September, Office for Veterans' Affairs launched a new directory and a set of online guides to help UK veterans and their families easily access services and resources, including mental health support and advice about employment and housing. The online guides provide veterans with quick links to advice and support, with an option to filter organisations using topic and location. Click here to view the guides, where you can also click through to the directory: https://lnkd.in/ejJjZ5GA