British Soldiers Going Bonkers Because Of War

[dalsingh101]

Not a fan of 'The Currant Bun' but interesting to see what the minds of the WWC are being fed with these days. Vaddhay soormay.

The new prisoners of war.

THE Sun can today reveal that the mental health scandal afflicting traumatised troops has led to a surge in the number of military heroes being sent to jail.

Having been denied help when they needed it most, more and more servicemen and women are turning to drink and drugs.

As many as 20,000 are in prison, on probation or parole, costing taxpayers £250million a year.

The shameful toll was revealed as The Sun's StresS.O.S. campaign gathered momentum. We demand that all troops returning from Afghanistan have an appointment with an independent psychiatrist, that payouts for mental health issues are in line with those for physical injuries and that an all-party body is set up to organise a unified method of treatment.

The MoD said yesterday that 3.5 per cent of the prison population is ex-Forces. Charities say this soars when you include those on probation, parole or community service.

Around 4,000 troops have been diagnosed with a mental disorder.

Here we reveal more horrific tales from battle-scarred soldiers.

Bob Paxman

SAS

SAS hero Bob Paxman was passed "from pillar to post" trying to get help for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - and even contemplated SUICIDE.

The former Royal Engineer and veteran of 22 Squadron SAS believes as many as HALF our SAS soldiers fight serious behavioural problems because of huge mental trauma they experience in action.

Secret Northern Ireland and Bosnia missions ... Bob Paxman

STUART WOOD/ SCOPE FEATURES

The 41-year-old puts this down to the fierce fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bob - whose problems started after stressful secret work in Bosnia and Northern Ireland - said: "I was having nightmares and flashbacks to things that had happened in some of the darkest places in the world that I couldn't talk about.

"They were so severe that I sat down and thought, 'I'm going to kill myself or someone else'.

"I would get high as a kite on cocaine so left the military to disappear into the African bush for years.

"I was a real mess. I approached the NHS and was passed from pillar to post. The lack of understanding and help made my nightmare even worse."

Bob eventually sought help from charity Combat Stress after two years.

He has now set up charity Talking2Minds, who specialise in treating PTSD.

The charity have also been asked to advise authorities in the US on how to treat THEIR Afghanistan and Iraq veterans. But Bob, from Folkestone, Kent, said: "The mental health of our troops is the Government's responsibility. It should not be left to charities."

Jamie Watson

Royal Artillery

IRAQ veteran Jamie Watson changed from a proud soldier serving his country to "The Incredible Hulk" after untreated PTSD tore his life apart.

Jamie, a former Royal Artillery Corporal, said the slightest noise used to startle him into believing he was back on the battlefields of Basra.

The 26-year-old, of Falmouth, Cornwall, said: "I came home and turned into a violent vigilante.

"If I saw anyone even shouting at a woman, I'd beat the cr*p out of him. I turned evil."

'I turned into a violent vigilante' ... Jamie Watson

STUART WOOD/SCOPE FEATURES

Jamie, who left the Army in 2006, is so traumatised he can STILL hear the bullets ricocheting around his head.

He said: "On my last deployment we were ambushed and my vehicle was stuck in a convoy for two hours while insurgents fired at us. We tried to find a way out but the vehicle in front was in flames and driving around in circles.

"It was like a scene from hell. We thought we would die.

"When I got home I turned to cannabis to help me sleep - and was arrested for possession in 2007."

Jamie was given a conditional discharge for two assaults and community service for cannabis possession.

He finally got the help he so desperately needed through Talking2Minds - and was supported by his loyal girlfriend Carrie McCall, 26.

Carrie, mum of Jamie's nine-month-old daughter, said: "The trauma of dealing with Jamie's PTSD was hell. I used to get very scared. It was like living with The Incredible Hulk. He couldn't control his rages.

"The only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that this wasn't the real Jamie. Now he's had treatment he's a different person. Proper treatment saved his life."

Matt Wadsworth

RAF

RAF chopper crewman Matt Wadsworth's severe PTSD led him to barricade himself in a room with knives, convinced he wanted to kill a mum and her baby.

The room the former Chinook Aircrewman was holed up in at the RAF base in Brize Norton, Oxon, was swiftly surrounded by police marksmen to prevent him taking hostages.

Matt, 35, was traumatised by the sight of a Taliban surface-to-air missile flying towards him while on operations in Afghanistan in 2007.

Missile attack hell ... Matt Wadsworth

STUART WOOD/SCOPE FEATURES

He said: "On the day I flipped in 2008 I was convinced I was going to kill someone.

"Either that or be taken out by armed police who surrounded my room.

"All I could think was, 'Shoot me and I'll find peace'. I had carving knives in my hands - I was a desperate man.

"I hated loud noises and the sound of aircraft. I turned to drink to help the pain. I was trapped by nightmarish visions and was too scared to close my eyes at night because of what I'd see.

"My life was saved by an RAF medical contact who arrived at the scene in time to convince the police to stand down - and persuaded me to put down the knives.

"After the whole thing was over - and I realised my insanity - I dropped to the floor, weeping.

"I just recalled being on that hellish mission over Helmand with that missile coming towards us. It missed by a fraction but the fear stayed with me.

"I was eventually discharged from the RAF in 2009 after 17 years of service. Having untreated PTSD nearly cost me my life - and others."

Mark Graves

Devonshire & Dorset Rgt

COMBAT veteran Mark Graves' mental health spiralled so badly after operations in Bosnia, Northern Ireland and Sierra Leone that he attempted suicide FOUR times.

Tormented by flashbacks - and without proper treatment - the former Colour Sergeant with the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment turned to drink and violence.

He battered his wife, throwing her against the wall in violent rages and was prescribed 53 tablets a DAY in an attempt to control the mental stresses.

Four suicide attempts ... Mark Graves

STUART WOOD/SCOPE FEATURES

Mark, of Salisbury, Wilts, said: "The suicide attempts were a cry for help - but there was no help.

"I was told by the doctors and the NHS that all I could look forward to was to be sick for life.

"I was seen as a lost cause - the small amount of help I did receive in the early stages wasn't enough.

"The NHS doctors wrote me off. I'd seen service and harsh tours in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Sierra Leone - and become the classic case of PTSD.

"It was Bosnia that really affected me - we came under attack and I barely survived. The stress was too much."

"I was so tormented, I attacked my wife. Fortunately she understood what was happening and realised I could not help my actions.

"I love her and fortunately did not cause her any serious injury. I had nowhere to go. I couldn't keep a job. PTSD is hell on earth and needs recognising as such."

Backing the bid for change

FORCES charities have thrown their support behind our call to help squaddies suffering with mental health problems.

Bryn Parry, founder of The Sun-backed Help for Heroes, said: "It is vital we acknowledge that these mental injuries are real and that their treatment needs to be part of the support all servicemen and women are entitled to."

Chris Simpkins, director general of The Royal British Legion, said: "We applaud The Sun for their StresS.O.S. campaign. The injuries suffered by Our Boys and Girls aren't always visible.

"We believe early detection and treatment is key to their cure or management. Once again, The Sun are showing their support for our Forces."

Robert Marsh, director of fundraising at Combat Stress, said: "We fully endorse The Sun's StresS.O.S. campaign.

"There should be no shame in asking for treatment for injuries to the mind.

"With tens of thousands of troops having served in Iraq and Afghanistan we are committed to providing more of the specialist help and support we offer to veterans and their families."

Jenny Hyatt founded Big White Wall - an online support network where soldiers can share problems with others.

She said: "There is going to be extensive fallout from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and that is going to play out for a long time to come yet.

"It's right and important that The Sun are putting this issue in the public eye."

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/3369786/The-Sun-continues-its-campaign-to-help-squaddies-get-over-Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder.html

[tonyhp32]

Your heroes the Taliban also suffer from the same mental problems due to the war.

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/12/06/do-the-taliban-get-ptsd.html

War is hell, what else is new?

Edited January 25, 2011 by tonyhp32

[SURYADEV]

PTSD, Combat Stress, Soldier Sickness or whatever you want to call it has always been there. It is not unique to western soldiers - only that they are ready to admit to this 'weakness' more so than others.

War can never be seen as a glamorous, romantic, action adventure as many civilians would portray it. Be they the youngsters, media, politicos etc. Only they who have witnessed it, fought it or suffered it can really know what happens many months/years/decades after.

I wonder how Sikhs of old coped with??? No doubt that they did suffer to some extent.

[dalsingh101]

Your heroes the Taliban also suffer from the same mental problems due to the war.

Unlike yourself, none of these people are my heroes. Try removing your tongue from white man's arse before you give me lectures.

[HSD1]

Reminds me of 'The Junior Officers' Reading Club: Killing Time and Fighting Wars', a book written by a british officer who had been on a tour in afghanistan. Reading the book it is funny how he constantly justifies the war by implying that if there was no war then this daughters and granddaughters would grow up wearing hijabs. He says this in a manner which is almost insane as it doesnt make much sense. He also talks about finding drawings in Taliban compounds done by the Taliban showing Mujahideen tanks and helicopters wasting coalition troops. Both sides are caught in an almost fantastical conflict when you look at their motivations - but when they put the pieces of reality together the jigsaw picture doesnt fit the image of how they see their actions and the war at large, so it's no wonder they begin to fall out of living in the real world.

[dalsingh101]

I wonder how Sikhs of old coped with??? No doubt that they did suffer to some extent.

Bhang and alcohol?

[kdsingh80]

Not a fan of 'The Currant Bun' but interesting to see what the minds of the WWC are being fed with these days. Vaddhay soormay.

Do you really think that western societies these days raise their children so they can go and fight in wars?

In old days warrior communities use to raise their children especially boys so they can become warriors,now in the world of western liberals ,feminists ,is it possible?

[tonyhp32]

Unlike yourself, none of these people are my heroes. Try removing your tongue from white man's arse before you give me lectures.

The way you go about these Taliban junglees it's obvious they are your heroes.

[dalsingh101]

The way you go about these Taliban junglees it's obvious they are your heroes.

The way you go on about Anglos, it's obvious they are more than just heroes to you.

Those Afghans can fight. It doesn't hurt to recognise that. I know you probably can't stand that fact, but deal with it. This is a classic guerilla war, it's fascinating to watch a third world bunch of pendus bring drama to the overlord masters of all Panjabi peasants. Maybe this might break the way Anglos have hypnotised people like yourself into 'mental ghulamary'? I doubt it though.....

Personally, having them screw each other over is no big issue for me. It's entertaining actually, and fascinating. What are you doing in all this I wonder? Rooting for your people's former masters like a good slave I guess?

Don't ever expect me to mate. Coconut.

[SURYADEV]

NOW ALL HEAR THIS :-

Today I had an epiphany, the skies opened and i glimpsed at the heavens above. I saw the light and verily it was enlightening. You could say it was brahamgian that I momentarily achieved, at the very least it was some form of divine wisdom.

Now what was this wisdom I gained, you may be wondering:

It is thus - the realisation of the state of the Sikh panth, the cause of its problems and decay!

Thus spake Suryadev: the issues of the panth can be summed up, and truely it is epitomised by none other than, our fellow members Tony and Dalsingh.

The white man has cause and has undertaken to fight the Musla. The Musla has cause and has undertaken to fight the Whiteman. Tony and Dalsingh, being of neither, but being Sikhs, nor involved in the matter have decided and chosen to argue, curse and fight each other in a matter that has no bearing on them.

This my dear Sangat is the true problem facing the Kaum.The world has its own problems and ways of dealing with it but Sikhs being what Nature has ordained them to be, decide that we will break our unity (if there ever was one!) and go about destroying each ohther over matters that do not relate to us nor concern us in the least. "Divide & Conquer policy" was not imposed upon us by some feringee. It is naturally within us to effect upon ourselves.

We must stop getting into the ring when others are fighting. We only end up getting a size niner stuck where the Suryadev doesn't shine! Satantar is what we must be. Live in the world but not worldly. Witness the happenings but don't get involved with the world or each other about the world. Only then can we concentrate on what really matters and concerns us: starting from Brother/Sisterhood and then success as a Kaum.

Hope you all got at least a gist of the Message that came to me from God, through his Messengers DalSingh Ji and Tony Ji.

Maybe you could all pass this message on to others of the Panth and now we can really begin to change.

Fateh and Chardi Kala to All.

Suryadev

[Mithar]

Personally speaking, we as Sikhs should not support either they Goray imperialists or the Islamic imperialists. For the last 250 years, the English man has conquered all the peoples in the world due to their imperialism. Goray have started world wars with each other due to imperialism. Our own people along with other peoples of India were a victim of British imperialism. We lost our Raaj and have been struggling since.

But that isn't to say that these Muslims are any angels. Before the ascension of the white man, it was these Muslims who were biggest imperialists of all. After a brief decline, the Islamic imperialists are again on the rise ready to take back what their imperialist forefathers had. I say let the Goray and Islamic imperialists fight it out and weaken each other.

Edited January 26, 2011 by Mithar

[dalsingh101]

I say let the Goray and Islamic imperialists fight it out weaken each other.

I agree 100%

I don't support any of them. It's Tony whose doing the loyal Panjabi bulldog crap. Like we haven't had enough of that shit already in our itihaas.

It was Tony sir....he started it!

PS - Surydev, I must say, your last post was very witty. Have you started reading books or something lately? ; )

Edited January 26, 2011 by dalsingh101

[HSD1]

NOW ALL HEAR THIS :-

Today I had an epiphany, the skies opened and i glimpsed at the heavens above. I saw the light and verily it was enlightening. You could say it was brahamgian that I momentarily achieved, at the very least it was some form of divine wisdom.

Now what was this wisdom I gained, you may be wondering:

It is thus - the realisation of the state of the Sikh panth, the cause of its problems and decay!

Thus spake Suryadev: the issues of the panth can be summed up, and truely it is epitomised by none other than, our fellow members Tony and Dalsingh.

The white man has cause and has undertaken to fight the Musla. The Musla has cause and has undertaken to fight the Whiteman. Tony and Dalsingh, being of neither, but being Sikhs, nor involved in the matter have decided and chosen to argue, curse and fight each other in a matter that has no bearing on them.

This my dear Sangat is the true problem facing the Kaum.The world has its own problems and ways of dealing with it but Sikhs being what Nature has ordained them to be, decide that we will break our unity (if there ever was one!) and go about destroying each ohther over matters that do not relate to us nor concern us in the least. "Divide & Conquer policy" was not imposed upon us by some feringee. It is naturally within us to effect upon ourselves.

We must stop getting into the ring when others are fighting. We only end up getting a size niner stuck where the Suryadev doesn't shine! Satantar is what we must be. Live in the world but not worldly. Witness the happenings but don't get involved with the world or each other about the world. Only then can we concentrate on what really matters and concerns us: starting from Brother/Sisterhood and then success as a Kaum.

Hope you all got at least a gist of the Message that came to me from God, through his Messengers DalSingh Ji and Tony Ji.

Maybe you could all pass this message on to others of the Panth and now we can really begin to change.

Fateh and Chardi Kala to All.

Suryadev

I blame Jesus.

[tonyhp32]

Come off it Dal. You posted the whole news report and made sure you highlighted in bold about the numbers of soldiers now in jail or suffering mental breakdown. If that's not gloating, I don't know what it. If you are gloating at one side of a war then naturally you are rooting for the other side. You denied you have underlying mental issues with Jats and I suppose similarly you are denying that you hold the Taliban as your heroes.

Given your hero worship of the Taliban, I am sure there's a vacancy for the oldest 'dancing boy' of Afghanistan just for you!

[SURYADEV]

PS - Surydev, I must say, your last post was very witty. Have you started reading books or something lately? ; )

Not read many books of late, but defo doing yours and sa.com's sangat. Its having its asar on me!

[dalsingh101]

duplicate

Edited January 26, 2011 by dalsingh101

[dalsingh101]

Given your hero worship of the Taliban, I am sure there's a vacancy for the oldest 'dancing boy' of Afghanistan just for you!

I'm sure you have both personal as well as intergenerational experience of being the white man's he-biatch of choice yourself!

When you were growing up, I bet you this fellow was your hero and role model.....

[dalsingh101]

Look I get it. You got upset when I laughed at your people's masters. I'm sorry.

Anyway, if it makes you feel better, I don't really give a toss when the taleban get it either. Win win to me.

Edited January 27, 2011 by dalsingh101