Nick Fothergill's seminal lectures on the impact of training and culture on service people/veteran's mental health have been around for more than twenty years but remain just as relevant today. They are very much worth a watch by anyone with an interest in veterans' mental health and fortunately are now freely available on YouTube. Below you will find the links collected together for easy access.

CBT Panic Cycle Why Panic Attacks Happen and How to Break the Cycle Panic attacks are one of the most frightening experiences a person can have. The sudden surge of physical symptoms — heart pounding, chest tight, struggling to breathe, feeling faint or detached — can feel indistinguishable from a medical emergency. Many people who have their first panic attack believe they are having a heart attack or are about to die. And yet panic attacks, however terrifying, are not dange

Increasing attention amongst clinicians is rightly being paid to tailoring interventions in a way that takes in to account the cultural and historical context of their clients, in particular those of minority communities. In the same way it is important for clinicians to understand the context of military training and culture when thinking about PTSD with military and veteran clients. Much is made of the military 'breaking down' recruits before 'building' them back up again

A few years ago I tried a VR headset for the first time. Within seconds of putting it on I found myself standing on the edge of a tall building, about to leap off as a base jumper. The graphics were basic. I knew perfectly well I was standing in my living room. And yet when the jump came, my body responded immediately — I pulled back, yanked the headset off, and my heart was pounding. I had genuinely panicked, just for a moment, despite knowing with complete certainty that no

Have you ever noticed yourself repeating the same unhelpful behaviours or patterns in your life, even when you know they do not work out well for you? Have you noticed your clients doing the same thing, even when they are aware of the problem? If you are anything like me, there's a good chance you have. Understanding why it happens for all of us is key to helping our clients, and ourselves, make changes to unworkable behaviours that last. The first thing to understand is

As mindfulness has become increasingly well known among the general public, and in the world of therapy and mental health care, it has also begun to gain something of bad reputation. Increasingly, there are accusations of 'McMindfulness' made about the way mindfulness is used and these have begun to taint the reputations all clinical mindfulness interventions. Much of the criticism is that mindfulness has been divorced from both its historical and cultural roots and, stripped

It is positive that awareness, and to a large degree acceptance, of Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder (PTSD) has grown within the military community over the last two decades. There has been a lot of work by service people and veterans themselves to promote awareness and they deserve genuine credit for their work which will have saved lives as a result. Unfortunately, along with greater awareness has come an unhelpful narrative of PTSD as a heroic injury. At first glance, it mig

Principles and Processes: In this article, we look at the mechanisms that contribute to some trauma survivors going on to develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and give an explanation, based on cognitive theory, for cognitive behavioural treatment interventions that target these mechanisms. Acute symptoms, such as intrusive memories, and intense feelings of fear, in days, weeks and months following a traumatic experience are common. Fortunately, most trauma survivo