A former soldier from Guyhirn who was shot while serving in Iraq has spoke out about his battle with post traumatic stress disorder.
Glen Dellow, 51, developed PTSD from his time serving with the Royal Anglian Regiment in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Iraq.
He is now encouraging others to get help as a YouGov poll revealed that nine in 10 people in the East of England believe veterans with PTSD would struggle to stay in work.
The poll of 198 adults in the region was carried out by The Poppy Factory, which helps wounded, injured and sick veterans back into work in communities across the East of England.
It was commissioned as part of the charity’s Working With PTSD campaign.
Glen said: “I experienced a lot in the Army. I was nearly shot in Iraq but fortunately I had the body armour on and it saved me.
“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster with my PTSD and I have ups and downs. When you have a set-back, it magnifies all the things that have gone wrong and you feel terrible.
“I approached the military charities for help and I was put in touch with Keiron at The Poppy Factory.
“Keiron was fantastic. He’s given me lots of good pointers and has acted as a kind of go-between with employers.
“I’ve not been shy about asking for help and I’d tell anyone who’s going through the same thing to get as much advice and support as possible, and don’t give up. You’ve got to keep pushing forward.”
More than half of those who took part in the survey in the region said they had worked alongside someone who they knew had a mental health condition.
Deirdre Mills, chief executive of The Poppy Factory, said: “We know from experience that those who struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder can find it very challenging to stay in a job.
“But with the right support over the long term, they often become the most dedicated, passionate and successful workers.
“Four fifths of the ex-forces men and women who are helped by The Poppy Factory have mental health conditions and many have complex cases of PTSD. Yet we have been able to help more than 1,000 veterans back into work across the UK since 2010.”
For more information and ways that you can help, visit: poppyfactory.org/workingwithPTSD
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