The tragic death of Lance Sergeant Dan Collins has put the work of the Welsh charity which treats victims of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) into even sharper focus.
The Healing The Wounds charity was already struggling to cope with demands for its treatment programmes.
“Since the tragic death of L/Sgt Dan Collins on New Year’s Day, we have been inundated with yet more requests for help. Dan’s death is obviously a huge tragedy, but it has left a massive legacy in raising awareness of PTSD.” said charity founder and executive director Kevin Richards.
“The case of L/Dan Collins highlights that PTSD treatment is a life or death issue. If the legacy of Dan Collins is saving one life, then that is a start. We are convinced, however, that his legacy will save many lives as PTSD sufferers come forward to receive treatment.
“We have a waiting list for treatment and that cannot be right for the brave men and women who have served our country.
“We are trying our best to cope with demands for PTSD treatment, but we desperately need funds (donations from the public or contributions from individuals, local authorities and other agencies). If we get the funds, then we have the tools to do the job and we can help prevent tragedies like the case of L/Sgt Collins.”
L/Sgt Collins, from Tiers Cross, near Haverfordwest, had served in Helmand Province in Afghanistan where he had lost two of his best friends. He had also narrowly escaped death, being shot twice and being involved in two bomb blasts. On one occasion he was shot by a Taliban sniper while on foot patrol with the Welsh Guards.
His girlfriend Vicky Roach said he had faced a constant struggle over the past couple of years and had tried to take his own life on previous occasions.
He had received support and counselling through the military as a serving soldier but was said to be deeply troubled by his experiences in Afghanistan.
Ms Roach and Dan’s family called for more help for Healing The Wounds.
Kevin Richards, co-founder of Healing The Wounds and a former Army medic, set up the charity nearly three years ago because he noticed more soldiers and veterans showing symptoms of PTSD with few places to go for help.
“The soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are dealing with horrors every day. It’s relentless. Every day could be their last. So I think we’re sitting on a ticking time bomb.
“I think we’ll see a lot more soldiers with PTSD in the future and we need to have systems and support in place.
“Unfortunately there’s still a stigma attached to it in the Army. If you say you have PTSD you are taken off the battlefield and soldiers don’t want that – they don’t want to show weakness. They may also miss out on promotion or even get discharged from the forces. That’s the problem.”
Mr Richards said for those who did seek help, support groups were often oversubscribed.
“Our waiting list for counselling is growing daily,” he said.
“But we rely on donations to keep going so we can only do so much.”
Mr Richards said the charity’s work had received widespread media coverage in the last week.
“We’ve recorded interviews for the BBC and S4C and been featured on Radio 2’s The Jeremy Vine Show.
“But the excellent coverage we have received isn’t enough. What we desperately need is funds so that we can continue our work.
Welsh Conservative health spokesperson Darren Millar plans to bring up the issue of PTSD treatment in Wales in a Welsh Governmment meting in The Senedd this week.
In the long term, the Healing The Wounds charity hopes to establish a residential centre in Wales to treat victims of PTSD.
The charity has devoted its energies to delivering treatment courses for veterans and PTSD sufferers from an office within an enterprise centre in Bridgend, South Wales, with accommodation outsourced to a nearby hotel.
There is no other charitable organisation in Wales that delivers the charity’s unique residential course of NLP (Neuro linguistic programming) therapy. The treatment is specifically designed for Armed Forces Personnel and Veterans, but can also be tailored to meet the needs of other services such as the police and fire brigade.
NLP is listed as a recognised psychotherapy by the NHS in its document called ‘Treatment Choice in Psychological Therapies and Counselling’.
Mr Richards said: “It is one of a number of types of psychotherapies practised in the NHS and we are very proud to say that we have a skilled and dedicated staff of practitioners who are currently able to deliver the NLP treatment programme in Wales.”
The charity is this week holding its first North Wales treatment course.
Mr Richards added: “The graph showing demand for our services is climbing all the time.
“The PTSD treatment we provide is real life-changing stuff. You see men and women who are withdrawn and deeply troubled at the start of one of courses. At the end, you see something remarkable, the transformation of those brave men and women. It really is a joy to behold.
“We shouldn’t be living from hand to mouth in providing these services. We need more money so that we can provide proper structured treatment programmes for the people who desperately need them.
For more information, see the charity’s website is at http://www.healingthewounds.co.uk
