An ex-serviceman who became seriously mentally unwell after serving in the military for 22 years has donated a war memorial to St Andrew’s Healthcare to thank staff for “giving him hope”.

Chris Perrio-stone, who attended the Armistice Day service at the chapel, served in the Royal Airforce Regiment where he toured Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

He retired in 2012, but it was only six years after leaving his job, that Chris realised he was not well and needed helped.

The 53-year-old said: “Although there were lots of elements of the job that I enjoyed, being surrounded by so much death and destruction eventually took its toll. But, it was not until 2018, when my world started to fall apart, that I was diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“I hadn’t recognised the symptoms, but I was angry all the time. Losing my temper over small things. I stopped going out and I was experiencing lots of flashbacks, night terrors, and overall I just felt a complete sense of unworthiness and that I no longer had a place in the world.”

Sadly, Chris attempted to complete suicide twice as he felt he was unable to see a future for himself anymore. 

He said: “I honestly felt like my son and wife would have been better off without me. But, I’m thankful there was a turning point for me, and that turning point was the help I received from St Andrew’s. I received a lot of talking therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) which really helped and I’m so pleased to say that I now have hope and a zest for life, which I never thought I would have again.

“You don’t get cured of PTSD, because you’ve can’t rewrite history but what the treatment does is give you the toolkit to move on. St Andrew’s has given me hope for my future.”

Chris is so grateful to the care he has received from St Andrew’s that he has donated a soldier statue, which has been placed in the garden where Community Partnerships is based.

Affectionately named Tommy, the statue was made possible by D&G Mechanical Solutions Ltd who designed and manufactured the installation. The poppy on the statue was created by Rob Wheeler a master potter from Walsham-Le Willows.

Chris said: “I personally carry the memories of comrades who are no long with me and keeping the memory alive is very important. Tommy will offer a respectful point in the garden for staff and patients to reflect and remember, now and in the future.” 

The St Andrew’s Veteran Service is part of the Op COURAGE programme, an NHS mental health specialist service which has been designed to support serving personnel due to leave the military, reservists, veterans and their families. It supports people of any age who have served in any of the armed forces at any time, for any duration.

Op COURAGE can help with common problems like anxiety, depression and substance misuse, as well as more advanced mental health conditions and psychological trauma. It can also help address other issues that may be affecting someone’s wellbeing, such as housing, finances and relationships.

Self-referral to the service can be made, or a family member, friend or GP can contact Op COURAGE on your behalf.

To learn more, click here.