Discovery Quest Veterans Programme

Well today has been a mixed bag of emotions, Jay was up at the crack of dawn to catch his train, and meet up with the rest of the veterans who are participating in the new Discovery quest veterans programme.(DVQ) www.discoveryquest.org/veterans.html

This is now the second time he has done this, and this week there off up into the lake district to hike into the mountains, and the reasons for this, well quite a simple one really, walking is the oldest form of healing therapy for mental health sufferers. So whats it all about well......

The DQV is a specialist 1 year mountaineering therapy project for ex-services personnel who have left the armed forces (post 2001) and who are experiencing severe psychological injuries incurred in service. At present this service covers east Anglia only.

Jay's veterans M.H nurse was the one who initially came across and recommend that he look into and apply to enrol on this new adventure, giving I'm his full support and help with the application process, back in July this year.

Mountaineering whilst in the army was one of my Jay's favourite things, but it was also something which didn't cross over into civvy life, once he left the army.

So today with his bags packed he and 19 other PTSD suffers will begin to tackle various
Expeditions in 4 mountainous areas of the UK. These expeditions are spread throughout the year, each expedition lasting roughly 3 to 6 days....... And for me this is where it becomes hard, although I'm so proud and pleased that he has decided to do this therapy programme and I've actively encouraged his doing so, I'm now feeling alittle lost, as for a long time I've been Jay's main carer and as a result of this we have become almost co reliant upon each other, mostly spending 24/7 together. Up until now it's been all day every day living with the effects of PTSD, as well as being my husbands rock, working as a paramedic, being a mummy, and running the household, managing finances....and the list goes on and on.

 The programme seems to offer a good balance of benefits as it states "Individuals will engage in a range of mountaineering activities that will bring about psychological and physical benefits in their own right, yet more importantly they will act as an engagement tool for individuals to participate in informal group therapy sessions in the mountainous areas. Highly skilled mental health practitioners will facilitate these sessions and individuals will also receive one to one emotional and psychological support, if required. Opportunities to develop strong peer support, with the knowledge that your peers are also ex service personnel who are receiving support for their physical and psychology needs."

The DVQ actually have there own blogspot as this is there maiden programme for veterans it gives an insight into what they have all been up to, you can find it at www.dqveterans.blogspot.com Well for the first time in a very long time I'm off to bed alone strange feeling really, however the upside of this.... i get to starfish in the bed! :O) the selfish side of me  says, roll on Friday when my hubby comes home,  however i can't wait to hear how they all got on, seeing him happy as he recalls his adventures, is an amazing feeling, as i see a glimpse of the old Jay come back and not the PTSD.  Walking, hiking or getting out in nature can provide many restorative benefits and, as Paul White points out, "do more good for an unhappy adult than all the medicine in the world".

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. John Muir

Jay took this picture on his first trip in the lake district three weeks ago, when he came home he said to me it was the best one he took as it summed up that there is "Light at the end of a PTSD tunnel"