Many people are worried about how others might think of them if they seek help for mental health issues. However, delaying treatment because of this can be a significant and dangerous barrier to diagnosis and receiving appropriate treatment.

The influence of stigma can be so significant that many will choose to endure the impacts of mental health conditions – even when they know they can be relieved or cured with treatment – rather than risk making others aware of what they fear will be perceived as a flaw or weakness. In many ways the stigma associated with mental health problems is actually more disabling than the condition itself.

Perceiving seeking treatment as a weakness is wholly wrong.

Some useful resources in the UK:

http://www.army.mod.uk/welfare-support/23386.aspx

Combat Stress - “If you're a veteran worried about your mental health, we can help.” For almost a century, we’ve helped former servicemen and women deal with trauma-related mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Today, we provide our life-changing treatment to veterans from every service and every conflict. On the phone and online. In the community and at our specialist centres. https://combatstress.org.uk

PTSD Resolution - A charity that helps Veterans, Reservists and their families struggling to reintegrate into normal work and family life because of combat-related stress, transitional distress and trauma. https://ptsdresolution.org

Mental Health First Aid for the Armed Forces - Just like the rest of the population, stigma and lack of awareness around our mental health compared to our physical health is often a barrier to armed forces personnel getting the treatment they need to recover. We want to empower everyone in the military community to meet these challenges head on by equipping them with practical Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) skills. https://mhfaengland.org/organisations/armed-forces/