Butcher praises book on ex-soldiers' mental health

(Left to right) Nigel Seaman, Rob Parker and Terry Butcher launched the new book in Ipswich

A football legend has said a new book on military veterans' mental battles revealed a powerful story the public rarely saw.

Christopher Butcher, the son of former Ipswich Town, Rangers and England footballer Terry Butcher, died aged 35 in 2017 after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following his Army service in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Terry, 66, helped launch You Are Not Alone by Rob Parker — a multi-perspective book highlighting what veterans of conflict and their families face in terms of mental health and seeking help.

Butcher Snr said reading the book had "really hit home".

Terry Butcher (pictured playing for Ipswich Town at Newcastle in 1985) said the book had a "strong message"

Mr Parker said: "Chris's story was heartbreakingly real and I wanted to blend that truth with the fictional world of 'Jack' and his family.

"The key message is that asking for help is an act of strength, not weakness."

The inquest into Christopher Butcher's death concluded he died of an abnormal enlargement of the heart, of uncertain cause, combined with the effect of drugs against a background of PTSD.

After the inquest his father said his son's life "spiralled downwards as the demons took control of his mind" and he "became a victim of war" after tours of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Speaking about the new book, Butcher Snr said: "It means so much to me. My son Chris is mentioned and I feel very honoured about that.

"When I read it I was very moved because there was so much happening in the book that happened to us.

"There aren't any books like this that cover this message, because everyone shies away from it because they don't understand it.

"But to people that understand it, this book in particular will be a very strong message."

Nigel Seaman founded Combat 2 Coffee in 2018 in Suffolk

The book was launched with support from Suffolk-based Combat 2 Coffee, which raises money for and supports veterans and their families.

Its founder Nigel Seaman, a military veteran himself, helped with the book and said when he read the final version, it was "very heart-warming".

"It was me to a degree, certain aspects of that book," he told BBC Look East.

He added it had also resonated with his family who saw their experience reflected.

"The more people that we can send this 'you are not alone' message out to, the more people may step forward and say 'I need some help', and that's the whole point of this," he said.

Rob Parker said he had been moved by the stories those in the military had shared with him

Mr Parker said the idea of the book came about after chatting with Mr Seaman and he was inspired by stories shared by veterans and those in service.

"[I was] definitely moved," he said. "There was a certain part of me that thought I knew exactly the types of things that they would be suffering with and the challenges they faced.

"But the deeper rooted problems [I didn't know]. The biggest fact I struggled to get my head around was the amount of people that could not ask for help.

"What the book will hopefully do is offer that signposting for them to do exactly that."

Combat 2 Coffee will benefit from "donations from book profits", as will the charities Scotty's Little Soldiers and The Not Forgotten, which support bereaved children and socially isolated veterans.

For information and support on issues including suicide/feelings of despair and mental health and self-harm, visit the BBC Action Line