Combat Stress
Who are Combat Stress?
For some former servicemen and women, the mental impact of the battlefield can be hard to leave behind. Since 1919, we’ve been here for those ordinary people who have had extraordinary experiences, providing life-changing mental health treatment. For some of those who have served, life as we know it can be shattered without our help. Mental health problems can tear families apart, destroy relationships and devastate lives.
Many veterans hit rock bottom before seeking our help – we are often told ‘Combat Stress saved my life’.
A veteran’s story
Navy veteran Dave received our support after an incident onboard a submarine caused many years of mental health problems. “I thought I was keeping everything well-hidden because I could hold down a job. I still had nightmares and flashbacks, but I convinced myself they were normal. I was a very angry, irritable person.
Eventually, pressures are work took their toll on Dave’s mental health. “I spent four months lying on the couch, not able to do anything. I isolated myself from everyone and I became agoraphobic. I was caught in a cycle of guilt and shame, telling myself I had no right to feel the way I did because I hadn’t seen action or lost a limb.”
After Dave’s wife Mairi made him visit his GP, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and he began treatment with Combat Stress. “It wasn’t until I spoke to the clinical staff at Combat Stress that I realised how broken I was. Mairi had seen a difference in me from the day of the incident. But she stuck by me, regardless. Talking about what I’d been through for the first time felt like a giant weight had been lifted. I realised that what I’d been feeling wasn’t my fault. Combat Stress put me back together. I now feel proud of the life I’ve had and I can look forward to the life I have with Mairi and the family we’ve created together.“
What makes us different?
Our unique specialist treatment can transform lives, helping veterans with complex mental health problems to tackle the past and take on the future.
We support veterans from every service and every conflict and for the past 100 years, our services have constantly evolved to best meet the needs of the veterans who seek our help. No one else does what we do. We are the only organisation that specialises in veterans with complex mental health needs.
Partially & Fully Funded
You will receive a free Hearing Test, all funding for your new Hearing Aids and any accessories you might need! Tinnitus support is also available at no cost!
5 Years
Guarantee
All our hearing technology comes with a 5 year guarantee & hearing aids with a 3 month exchange programme, ensuring your hearing aids are just right for you!
Extensive
Aftercare
Once you have received your new hearing aids, we continue to offer you support at any time. This includes 3 years of expert aftercare to ensure 100% satisfaction.
Improved Quality Of Life
Our expert can select the best hearing aid systems, tailored specifically to suit your hearing needs. You can then enjoy a new and improved quality of life!
Help Us Fit More Veterans!
Since becoming a charity, we have managed to fit over 100 veterans with top-class hearing aids! However, we still have more than 1,500 veterans who need our help in getting back to a normal standard of life after the hearing damage they received in their years of service. Any donations we receive are a huge help in the lives of our vets and we are eternally grateful for whatever you may be able to spare.
Proudly supporting those who serve!
UK Veterans Hearing Help (now the UK Veterans Hearing Foundation) received the Bronze Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme in 2016, in 2019 we achieved Silver level and in 2020 we achieved the highest level Gold. The scheme provides an award for organisations that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to defence and armed forces community.