Easing their troubles

Feb 9 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal

HYPNOSIS techniques are being used to help ex-service personnel deal with war zone and battlefield memories in a pioneering treatment project in Northumberland.

Former soldiers, sailors and airmen suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of their experiences in conflict zones are being offered the specialist counselling by a dedicated forces’ charity.

Advanced hypnotherapist Robert Porteous has been given special training by the Soldiers Sailors Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) to allow him to help armed forces veterans whose lives are blighted by the trauma caused by wartime memories.

Robert, 39, who runs his own practice at the Therapy Centre in Oldgate, Morpeth, is working with former soldiers whose minds are scarred by sights such as hundreds of dead bodies piled on top of each other and atrocities committed on women and children. He believes the scheme – which involves ex-service personnel with PTSD being referred to him by SSAFA – is the only one of its kind in the country.

He uses deep relaxation techniques and the communication tool neuro-linguistic programming to help his clients come to terms with their wartime trauma and deal with the family, personal and social problems the memories create. It is a challenging and exciting new field of work for someone who has previously used his skills to help people stop smoking, lose weight and deal with anxiety issues.

Robert, who has been a practising hypnotherapist for seven years, comes from a services family and joined SSAFA three years ago as a volunteer case worker.

“Being based in Northumberland, I became keenly aware that there were people in the Blyth and Ashington area who were suffering from PTSD as a result of their time in the forces. There was a lot in the newspapers about it and I was aware of people getting into trouble and going before the courts.

“I felt there was little being offered to them and they were facing a wait of six months for help via the NHS. Forces’ charities like Combat Stress do very good work but are under-resourced.”

Last September SSAFA sent Robert for specialist training in London. So far he has counselled three former soldiers but expects to get one or two new cases a month, because the area is a prime recruiting ground for the services.

“The people I am dealing with will have served in conflicts such the Gulf Wars or Bosnia and have PTSD which is causing problems such as alcohol and drug misuse, anger, relationship problems and flashbacks. The biggest problem is ex-servicemen just living with their problems in silence. I can be a first step in the process for them, or a last resort if they have tried other counselling.”

SSAFA Northumberland spokesman Major Brian Finlayson said: “A lot of servicemen and women who have been in Iraq and Afghanistan have a post-traumatic stress problem and Robert is fully trained to counsel them.”