'I was going at 100mph after returning from war'

Former soldier Rhys Thurtell joined the Army when he was 17

A former soldier who felt like he "was going at 100mph" after returning from war said seeking help for his mental health struggles saved his life.

Rhys Thurtell, 35, from Norwich, was one of thousands of veterans supported by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust's specialist mental health service.

He was diagnosed with severe complex post-traumatic stress disorder in 2015 and attempted to take his own life in December 2022.

"Whatever situation or struggle you find yourself in right now, understand that life's toughest battles are given to its strongest soldiers," he said.

Mr Thurtell said his life was saved by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust Op Courage programme

"Men's mental health has a real stigma - that you're a weak or incompetent man - but that must change in order to save lives."

Mr Thurtell joined the Army at 17 and spent the next five and a half years in the Royal Anglian Regiment. He served in Afghanistan and described being shot at "by every weapon you can think of".

He later won a bravery award for saving his friend's life and helping children when a grenade exploded in their hands.

Mr Thurtell was promoted to corporal but left the Army in mid-2013, before his mental health started to decline and his lifestyle turned chaotic.

"My family started to notice I wasn't the same and I was erratic, took lots of risks and felt like I was going at 100mph all the time," he added.

"I ended up turning to alcohol and drugs that sent me down an even darker path that ended with attempts to take my life on numerous occasions - I became a recluse.

"In among all this, my eldest son was born and then my twins, so I was trying to look after my children but really hated who I had become. I was very emotional."

'Blessed to be here'

After waking up from a coma in December 2022, Mr Thurtell joined Op Courage, a specialist mental health service for veterans.

He now works with two charities which support Armed Forces veterans and has a home, a job and plans to start his own company.

"It has been life-changing and without the support they gave me I wouldn't be here," said Mr Thurtell.

"You can't fix yourself overnight but I manage my mental health now. I wake up and think life is so beautiful and I am so blessed to be here."