Alex fights back against the stress

Published 1 Nov 2009 15:00 0 Comments

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A FORMER army veteran who fights a daily battle against post traumatic stress disorder, has set up a helpline to offer support to fellow sufferers.

Since leaving the army six years ago Alex Webster has been suffering from the medically recognised condition PTSD.

During his 10 years with the Scottish Guards and Blues and Royals based in Windsor, the 35-year-old served in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. It was during his time in Afghanistan that he lost three of his friends and he start suffering the symptoms of PTSD.

He said: "It is horrendous. The best way to describe PTSD is like having a DVD player that is stuck on a single DVD and you don't have a remote and it just replays. You get flashbacks, nightmares, cold sweats, sleepless nights. The reality is most guys dealing with it are on 30-odd pills a day, if not more."

After being diagnosed two years ago, the dad-of-three struggled to find support groups so he and his wife decided to set-up PTSD Worldwide, a helpline for soldiers and their families.

Alex, of Acorn Close, Langley, said: "It took a couple of years for me to seek help and that was through my wife who was a psychiatric nurse.

"When you come back to civi street there is nothing to help you deal with the mental disorder. The aim of the helpline is to talk to others and help others who have the same problems."

Since launching the website and helpline three weeks ago Mr Webster has received more than 50 calls from soldiers, grandparents, wives and even a daughter and has been sent more than 150 emails from people offering and seeking help.

He said: "The helpline is run by veterans, guys from the Falklands through to the present day, so squaddies can speak to squaddies who understand what they are going through."

For more information visit www.ptsdworldwide.org

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