THE NEWS that the number of British troops in Afghanistan will be halved over the next year was, for most, a cause for celebration.
But a local military charity has reminded people that the return home will not be plain sailing for all servicemen.
Veteran Jim Reilly, who is the founder of the Tayforth Veterans Project at Dundee’s City Quay, said while most soldiers settle back home well, a small percentage find it difficult to adapt to civilian life.
And he said Christmas can be a particularly difficult time for ex-servicemen.
“It’s a minefield,” he said. “You just don’t know what these guys have been through and how they are going to face civvy street.
“Ninety-five percent of the guys are fine, great, don’t have any problems.
“But some just can’t adjust to civilian life.”
Last week the Government announced that half of the British forces in Afghanistan will be coming home over the next year and, while many will remain in the forces, for some of them their time in the services will be up.
Mr Reilly said the change in lifestyle can just be too much for some.
“You have some guys who have been in the services for years,” he said. “They’re used to a regimented life where they are told when to eat, when to sleep.
“Then all of a sudden they have all this time on their hands.”
He said Christmas can be a particularly hard time for veterans.
“We shall be open throughout the Christmas period,” he added. “That’s the time when it can be particularly difficult.
“If they are on their own, they haven’t got their families or friends and they are just sitting around with nothing to do they can feel vulnerable.”
And he said the problems already seen by the organisation, which supports such veterans, are only going to get worse as more come home.
But he stressed help is at hand.
The Tayforth Veterans Project provides a drop-in service for ex-servicemen and women where they can share their experiences.
Footfall has increased significantly in recent months and Combat Stress, the veterans’ mental health charity, now runs a surgery two days every fortnight at the centre.
“We can offer them somewhere to come to, somewhere where they are not on their own, where they can see other veterans and come in and speak to other servicemen,” Mr Reilly said.
“As an ex-serviceman myself I get people coming through the door and I can tell within minutes whether they’re ex-forces.
“We can refer those with post-traumatic stress disorder to Combat Stress, the major organisation that provides the treatment and assessment for post traumative stress disorder (PTSD).”
PTSD is a severe anxiety condition that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma.
This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else.
Symptoms for PTSD include re-experiencing the original trauma through flashbacks or nightmares, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, difficulty falling or staying asleep, anger and hypervigilance.
Military trauma causes flashbacks, nightmares, anger and depression, and often leads to violence, alcohol and substance abuse, job loss, family breakdown and even suicide.
In 2010 almost 4,000 servicemen and women 2% of the armed forces were diagnosed with mental health problems.
But not every veteran who comes through the doors of the Tayforth Veterans Project is suffering from PTSD.
Some just enjoy being in the company of other ex-servicemen.
ksmyth@thecourier.co.uk