COMBAT STRESS
- supporting Veterans (former service men and women) who have mental health problems as a result of serving their country.
 
Combat Stress is the UK’s leading charity supporting Veterans (former service men and women) who have mental health problems as a result of serving their country. We treat conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety disorders. Our services are free of charge to every Veteran. To help Veterans rebuild their lives, we provide a range of services:

• A 24 – hour Helpline (tel: 0800 138 1619) The Helpline provides free and confidential mental health advice and support line. It is for current and ex-Service personnel, and their families and carers.
   
  
• Community outreach – delivered by a UK wide network of regional welfare officers providing practical support, and an expanding team of community based clinicians.
   
  
• Short Stay clinical treatment – with other Veterans – at one of our specialist centres in Ayrshire, Shropshire and Surrey.

In Hampshire we are currently supporting 134 Veterans. We hope to run four local groups across the South Central Region by October 2011. It is hoped these will be in Tidworth (at Tedworth House), Royal British Legion Christchurch, NHS in partnership at Oxford and NHS in partnership at Reading. Including the Veterans Outreach Service (VOS) in Portsmouth itself that is supported by the South East Region as well as ourselves from the South Central region. We hope that the new groups will mirror the setup in the Portsmouth Veterans Outreach Service, which is run by Dr Morgan O’Connell FRCPsych, Consultant Psychiatrist. This has many agencies in attendance such as the SPVA, Royal Navy Benevolent Fund, Royal British Legion, and other third sector charities.
 
This Portsmouth Veterans Outreach Service takes place on the first Wednesday of every month at the Royal Maritime Club in Portsmouth, from 14.00 to 19.00 and no appointment is necessary, simply drop by for a one stop shop of veterans support, from the agencies and fellow veterans.
 
For more information about Combat Stress, visit www.combatstress.org.uk,
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See also Inside Right - the mental health programme helping young service veterans adjust to civilian life.