Published on: 5th August 2025
A local army veteran has been ‘given his life back’ thanks to support he received from our Military Veterans’ Service.
Kris, 38, was referred after experiencing suicidal thoughts and issues with alcohol.
Kris (pictured right) joined the infantry of The British Army and served nine years with operational tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He experienced several traumas while on tour, including the loss of close friends and innocent civilians, which had a lasting impact on his mental health.
Kris explained: “I returned home and suddenly it all hit me. I was left with painful memories of fallen friends. I had overwhelming feelings of guilt and kept going over in my mind how I could have done something to prevent what had happened.”
“I had sleepless nights and would wake up screaming with flashbacks of gun shots and explosions. I was easily triggered by loud noises and felt as though I was in fight or flight mode most of the time. It completely took over my life and I became a shell of who I once was.”
In desperation, Kris turned to alcohol. Over the following decade, his mental state worsened. His personal life and close relationships were breaking down, and he started to have suicidal thoughts.
Having previously tried therapy with other providers, Kris was doubtful that anything could help him.
“I was at my lowest and didn’t feel confident about trying therapy again, but something had to give – I couldn’t carry on as I was.”
Kris was referred to the Military Veterans’ Service, a specialist psychological therapies service for British armed forces veterans across Greater Manchester and Lancashire.
The referral was something which, in his own words, saved his life.
Kris said: “The treatment was completely different to what I’d had before. I never felt rushed and everything was done at my own pace. They knew what I could handle and cope with.”
“It was still really difficult and a very bumpy road, but I knew I had to keep going if I was going to see a real change and be better for my family and for myself.”
Over two years, Kris worked with highly specialist psychotherapist Chris Barry. He had sessions of cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) to help understand and work through his trauma, anger and feelings of guilt.
Chris Barry, highly specialist psychotherapist explained: “Cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) focuses on understanding how past experiences and relationships shape present-day patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Using this therapy, Kris was able to understand unhelpful patterns that were maintaining his post-traumatic stress and leading to repeated episodes of crisis. Our work initially focused on Kris keeping himself safe.”
“We then began EMDR, which helped Kris recall key traumatic memories that his mind had attempted to supress, thereby allowing him to reprocess and realise he was no longer in danger and was not responsible for events he had previously blamed himself for.”
Kris also reflected on the tragic loss of a friend who had died by suicide, something which gave him a new perspective during his therapy. He explained: “It really opened my eyes to not only what I would be leaving behind, but what my family would go through if something were to happen to me, and I knew that I just couldn’t allow it to become a reality.”
Using new skills, Kris started to make positive changes to his life. He added: “I started to really trust the process. The service gave me constant reassurance to keep pushing through and be patient as that’s the only way to see the maximum benefit.”
As time went on, Kris found happiness again. He recalls walking his dog with his wife and children one morning and feeling so happy that his cheeks were hurting from smiling so much.
“Finally, I started to feel the improvement that others had seen in me. Simple things like sitting with my back to a door or being around loud noises without getting stressed and angry were possible for me again.”
When asked what advice he would give to others who may be struggling, Kris said: “The dark memories will stay with me forever, but they no longer control me. I can smile again and embrace what is good in my life.
“None of this would be possible without the military veterans’ service – they have been crucial to my recovery. They gave me the ability to live again – so give yourself the same chance, it’s worth it.”
How to access support
The Military Veterans’ Service is a specialist psychological therapies service, for British armed forces veterans across Greater Manchester and Lancashire. They can support any ex-service personnel experiencing mental health difficulties related to their time in the military. This includes anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol and substance issues and anger problems. Click here to find out more.