Combat Stress
Encyclopedia
Combat Stress is a UK charity offering residential treatment to ex-servicemen and women suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues.
The Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society was formed in the United Kingdom
in 1919 just after the First World War when the effects of Shell Shock
were becoming known. During the 1980s it became known as Combat Stress for public relations purposes although legally is still known by its original name. It is a registered UK Charity.
In 1915 The British Army
in France
was instructed that:
In August 1916 Charles Myers was made Consulting Psychologist to the Army. He hammered home the notion that it was necessary to create special centres near the line using treatment based on:
He also used hypnosis
with limited success.
In December 1916 Gordon Holmes
was put in charge of the northern, and more important, part of the western front. He had much more of the tough attitudes of the Army and suited the prevailing military mindset and so his view prevailed. By June 1917 all British cases of “Shell-shock” were evacuated to a nearby neurological centre and were labelled as NYDN–Not Yet Diagnosed Nervous”. "But, because of the Adjutant-General’s distrust of doctors, no patient could receive that specialist attention until Form AF 3436 had been sent off to the man’s unit and filled in by his commanding officer." This created significant delays but demonstrated that between 4-10% of Shell-shock W cases were "commotional" (due to physical causes) and the rest were "emotional". This killed off shell-shock as a valid disease and it was abolished in September 1918.
During the war, 306 British soldiers were executed for cowardice, many of them victims of shell shock. On 7 November 2006 the government of the United Kingdom gave them all a posthumous conditional pardon.
Currently the organisation is helping over 4,600 people who are ex British Armed Forces but demand is expected to rise due to British Forces being deployed on operations in Afghanistan
and Iraq
.
Support is currently being given to those who suffer from:
The Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society was formed in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1919 just after the First World War when the effects of Shell Shock
Combat stress reaction
Combat stress reaction , in the past commonly known as shell shock or battle fatigue, is a range of behaviours resulting from the stress of battle which decrease the combatant's fighting efficiency. The most common symptoms are fatigue, slower reaction times, indecision, disconnection from one's...
were becoming known. During the 1980s it became known as Combat Stress for public relations purposes although legally is still known by its original name. It is a registered UK Charity.
World War I
The soldiers returning home from World War I suffered greatly from the horrors they had witnessed. Many returning veterans suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, called shell shock at the time.In 1915 The British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
was instructed that:
In August 1916 Charles Myers was made Consulting Psychologist to the Army. He hammered home the notion that it was necessary to create special centres near the line using treatment based on:
- Promptness of action.
- Suitable environment.
- Psychotherapeutic measures.
He also used hypnosis
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
with limited success.
In December 1916 Gordon Holmes
Gordon Holmes
Gordon Holmes may refer to:* The pseudonym of the journalist Louis Tracy * Sir Gordon Morgan Holmes , British neurologist.* Gordon Holmes a 55-year-old lab technician who shot a home video he claims may show the Loch Ness Monster...
was put in charge of the northern, and more important, part of the western front. He had much more of the tough attitudes of the Army and suited the prevailing military mindset and so his view prevailed. By June 1917 all British cases of “Shell-shock” were evacuated to a nearby neurological centre and were labelled as NYDN–Not Yet Diagnosed Nervous”. "But, because of the Adjutant-General’s distrust of doctors, no patient could receive that specialist attention until Form AF 3436 had been sent off to the man’s unit and filled in by his commanding officer." This created significant delays but demonstrated that between 4-10% of Shell-shock W cases were "commotional" (due to physical causes) and the rest were "emotional". This killed off shell-shock as a valid disease and it was abolished in September 1918.
During the war, 306 British soldiers were executed for cowardice, many of them victims of shell shock. On 7 November 2006 the government of the United Kingdom gave them all a posthumous conditional pardon.
The work today
The Charity was formed at a time when there was little known about mental health problems affecting ex serviceman who had returned home after serving in conflict zones.Currently the organisation is helping over 4,600 people who are ex British Armed Forces but demand is expected to rise due to British Forces being deployed on operations in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Support is currently being given to those who suffer from:
- Clinical depressionClinical depressionMajor depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
- Raised anxietyAnxietyAnxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. The root meaning of the word anxiety is 'to vex or trouble'; in either presence or absence of psychological stress, anxiety can create feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness,...
states - Phobic disorders
- Obsessional Compulsive Disorder
- Bi-polar illness (manic depression)
- Substance abuseSubstance abuseA substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
(drug and alcohol) - Psychotic conditions in a non-acute phase
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Services
The services provided:- Welfare Officers - a vital link between the Charity and veterans
- Treatments for PTSD which include:
- CBT: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Behaviour therapyBehaviour therapyBehaviour therapy, or behavior therapy is an approach to psychotherapy based on learning theory which aims to treat psychopathology through techniques designed to reinforce desired and eliminate undesired behaviours.-History:...
- Cognitive therapyCognitive therapyCognitive behavioral therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach: a talking therapy. CBT aims to solve problems concerning dysfunctional emotions, behaviors and cognitions through a goal-oriented, systematic procedure in the present...
- Solution Focused TherapySolution focused brief therapySolution focused brief therapy , often referred to as simply 'solution focused therapy' or 'brief therapy', is a type of talking therapy that is based upon social constructionist philosophy. It focuses on what clients want to achieve through therapy rather than on the problem that made them seek help...
- Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprogramming (EMDR)Eye Movement Desensitization and ReprocessingEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a form of psychotherapy that was developed by Francine Shapiro to resolve the development of trauma-related disorders caused by exposure to distressing events such as rape or military combat...
- Art TherapyArt therapyBecause of its dual origins in art and psychotherapy, art therapy definitions vary. They commonly either lean more toward the ART art-making process as therapeutic in and of itself, "art as therapy," or focus on the psychotherapeutic transference process between the therapist and the client who...
- Anger managementAnger managementThe term anger management commonly refers to a system of psychological therapeutic techniques and exercises by which someone with excessive or uncontrollable anger & aggression can control or reduce the triggers, degrees, and effects of an angered emotional state...
- Anxiety ManagementAnxiety/Uncertainty ManagementAnxiety/uncertainty management is a theory developed by Dr. William B. Gudykunst in an attempt to define what makes up effective communication. Gudykunst’s research began in 1985 using existing theories as a starting point...
- Sleep HygieneSleep hygieneSleep hygiene can be defined as the controlling of "all behavioural and environmental factors that precede sleep and may interfere with sleep." It is the practice of following guidelines in an attempt to ensure more restful, effective sleep which can promote daytime alertness and help treat or...
- Social Skills TrainingSocial skillsA social skill is any skill facilitating interaction and communication with others. Social rules and relations are created, communicated, and changed in verbal and nonverbal ways. The process of learning such skills is called socialization...
- Drugs maintenance and assessment for General Practitioners (Dr's)
- Physical ExercisePhysical exercisePhysical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of...
and Outdoor activity - Occupational and Recreational TherapiesOccupational therapyOccupational therapy is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, and/or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments...
- Treatment Centres
- Carer Support
See also
- Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
- British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
- The Royal British LegionThe Royal British LegionThe Royal British Legion , sometimes referred to as simply The Legion, is the United Kingdom's leading charity providing financial, social and emotional support to those who have served or who are currently serving in the British Armed Forces, and their dependants.-History:The British Legion was...
- Army Benevolent FundArmy Benevolent FundABF The Soldiers' Charity, formerly the Army Benevolent Fund is a British charity. It is the British Army's national charity and provides financial and practical support to soldiers, former soldiers, and their families in times of need....
- Royal Air Forces AssociationRoyal Air Forces AssociationThe Royal Air Forces Association, more often known as RAF Association, or simply RAFA, is a UK based charitable organization which provides care and support to serving and retired members of the "Royal Air Forces" and their dependents.The organisation, which was formed in 1943, receives no funding...