VETERANS suffering from hidden mental illness are being encouraged to seek support from Help for Heroes recovery centre, Phoenix House.

The centre is now offering H4H Hidden Wounds, a psychological wellbeing service for veterans and military families who suffer from excessive worry, stress or low mood.

Launched last September at Help for Heroes recovery centre in Wiltshire, it is now also available at Phoenix House in Catterick Garrison, and can be offered by phone, Skype, or face to face, and helps sufferers to understand and positively manage common mental health problems.

Precious Charuma, psychological wellbeing practitioner team leader at Phoenix House, said many people think of wounded servicemen as having physical injuries caused by IED blasts or fire-fights, but the reality is that far more need support with everyday difficulties that can be overcome with the right help.

“Different people respond to stress and worry in a variety of ways – it can be a sudden lack of motivation or interest in everyday activities; an uncontrollable sense of worry or fear; it could be physical tension in the head or shoulders …or any number of other symptoms.

“Hidden Wounds seeks to address these issues using evidence-based techniques.”

The service is delivered by practitioners who understand the unique situations faced by the Armed Forces, and individuals are taught techniques and practical skills to help them manage their behaviour in everyday situations.

Mo Usman, Phoenix House manager, said the charity was determined to make support for everyday psychological wellbeing issues as accessible as possible.

Those who do not live within reasonable travelling distance to a recovery centre or who do not feel able to visit one, can receive help via Skype or over the phone.

Mr Usman said: “This type of support for those with ‘hidden’ wounds is something that has been needed for some time.

“It is difficult to conceive the mental effects that conflict can have on a person but I know that they benefit greatly from talking to someone who has that empathy.”

The Catterick Garrison Hidden Wounds team can be contacted from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm on 0808-2020-144, which is free from UK landlines, hidden.wounds@helpforheroes.org.uk or www.helpforheroes.org.uk/hidden-wounds

Men and women who are still serving in the Armed Forces and in need of psychological support should contact their medical officer, unit welfare officer or Help for Heroes to see if they can be supported in other ways.

Hidden Wounds is for over-18s only but those in need of support for children, or for complex issues such as PTSD, are still invited to contact Help for Heroes as the charity will try to find an organisation that can help.