Redcar veteran claims gaming helped deal with strains

Paul Colling said he believes using his brain, hands and mouth while gaming has helped his recovery

A military veteran said online gaming has helped him deal with the trauma of his career ending and the mental health strains caused by injuries.

Paul Colling, from Redcar, Teesside, spent 17 years in the Army, including time in Iraq and Afghanistan.

When he was discharged with a serious leg injury he said he struggled with the loss of his military identity.

But he said playing games such as Call of Duty and God of War had helped him, particularly by playing with others.

His discharge from the Army came after the injury he had sustained years earlier worsened, leaving him in near constant pain.

He got a job with a waste management company but struggled with life after the Army, which he had joined aged 16, and on two occasions considered taking his own life.

The effects of a minor brain injury and limited movement following such an active life in the Army also took their toll.

Among the games Paul plays is Call of Duty: Warzone

That is when he discovered gaming and said he believed it played a vital role in his recovery.

"It didn't let your brain just turn into a cabbage," he said.

"You were thinking all the time, doing little puzzles, working things out.

"It was keeping me engaged with other people, but what I didn't realise it was doing - it was almost fixing my brain injury.

"Because of that injury my cognitions didn't work properly. I was thinking of things but couldn't do them, when I was talking the words wouldn't come out.

"Here I was on a game like Call of Duty: Warzone, using my brain, my hands and my mouth all at the same time and getting my cognitions kickstarted."

The social aspect of gaming is a key factor for him and during lockdown, he organised private Call of Duty: Warzone matches for 150 veterans and also streamed on Twitch, raising more than £7,000 for Help for Heroes.

The charity supported him when he was recovering and "without them I wouldn't be here", he said.

"There's lots of people who got through the pandemic because they learnt to use gaming to get through what they were going through," he said.

"A lot of people struggle with their mental health, but picking up that controller and playing a game might just save the day."

• For details of organisations which offer advice and support, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline