4 July 2025
Living with the after-effects of trauma can feel like a constant battle, fought long after leaving the service. The memories, the hypervigilance, the feeling of isolation, it can be overwhelming. Here at Veterans in Action, we understand that the path to healing is unique for everyone, and we are committed to standing with you on your journey. The landscape of mental health support is evolving, and for the first time in a long time, there is significant, research-backed hope on the horizon.
This post is for you, the veteran, the family member, the friend, who is looking for credible, up-to-date information on the latest developments in PTSD treatment. We will explore the groundbreaking clinical research happening right here in the UK and look at the powerful concept of growing stronger through adversity.
Before we look forward, it is important to acknowledge the scale of the challenge. Recent 2024 research from the King’s Centre for Military Health Research paints a stark picture of the mental health of UK veterans.
These statistics confirm what many of us know from personal experience: the burden of trauma is heavy, and the need for effective support has never been more urgent. As Chloe Mackay, CEO of Combat Stress, warns, without increased support, there could be “dire consequences for veterans in need of… specialist mental health treatment.”
For too long, veterans have been told that conventional treatments, which are only effective for about 30% of ex-Service personnel, are the only option. This is changing. Leading UK institutions are pioneering innovative therapies that could revolutionise how we treat PTSD.
One of the most promising developments is MDMA-assisted therapy. This is not about recreational drug use; it is a highly controlled clinical treatment where a pure, therapeutic dose of MDMA is administered in a safe environment with trained therapists. The goal is to help individuals process trauma without being overwhelmed by fear and anxiety.
King’s College London is leading a pioneering UK trial, sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and co-funded by the charity Supporting Wounded Veterans.
“Serving military personnel are exposed to difficult conditions, and their risk of exposure to traumatising events is much greater than the average member of the public. Unfortunately, current treatments for PTSD aren’t effective for a significant number of people… leaving a large number of people without the means of properly managing what can be extremely severe symptoms.” – Dr James Rucker, Consultant Psychiatrist, King’s College London
The initial UK trial phase, which began in 2022, showed the treatment was safe and feasible for UK veterans with severe PTSD. The success has paved the way for larger international trials, with the ultimate goal of getting this therapy licensed and available for those who need it most. In a sign of its potential, the UK’s medicines regulator (MHRA) awarded it an “Innovation Passport” in 2022 to help accelerate its path to patients.
Alongside new medicines, researchers are developing faster and more effective talking therapies that do not require you to relive every detail of a traumatic event. A recent UK study, funded by Forces in Mind Trust, explored a therapy rooted in Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP).
The initial feasibility trial, called Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM), produced remarkable results:
These promising findings have led to a larger, £1.9 million study of an improved version of the therapy called Fast Imagery Reversal Script for Trauma-release (FIRST).
“Our research holds the real opportunity of shortening those waiting lists and getting welcomed therapies to people much more quickly so they can continue to live their working and personal lives to the full.” – Professor Jackie Sturt, King’s College London
This research offers hope for a future where effective, non-distressing, and rapid treatment is accessible to more veterans.
Healing is not just about reducing symptoms; it can also be about positive transformation. The concept of Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) describes the profound positive psychological changes that can occur as a result of struggling with trauma. It does not suggest that trauma is good, but that the process of overcoming it can lead to a new and deeper appreciation for life.
Researchers have identified five key areas where veterans often experience growth:
PTG can exist alongside PTSD. Managing the symptoms of trauma is a crucial first step, creating the foundation upon which you can begin to build a new, stronger future.
The journey through trauma is intensely personal, but you do not have to walk it alone. Here is what we want you to take away from this update:
Navigating the support system can be difficult, but we are here to help. At Veterans in Action, we provide a community and a pathway to rediscovery. Whether you need someone to talk to, want to connect with fellow veterans through our unique outdoor expeditions and team-building programmes, or need help finding the right clinical support, we are your first port of call.
Your service has shaped you, but it does not have to define your future. New hope is on the horizon, and a community of support is waiting for you.
Contact Veterans in Action today to find out how we can support you on your journey to recovery and growth. You have already taken the first step by reading this. Let us help you take the next one.
I needed focus I needed something to fill my time, well maybe not fill my time but something to focus on like a target, a needed to get back my drive.
I started to help VIA ‘Veterans In Action’ and found something that I could do, use the old skills that I learnt in the army and more since I left which I did not register I had.
I had been missing that motivation to do something that I wanted to do and gain that level of self-gratification and achievement.
Everybody has a skill set, but it’s the motivation to use it we can lose, VIA have various projects on the go all the time, hopefully I have found my niche to help them and myself to gain personal gratification by being a member of a team again and a job well done.
After discussions I realised that it’s this which advances my mental well-being and my ongoing fight against depression and the feeling of worthlessness.
I have woken up, helping hand in hand with fellow soldiers suffering from labelled disorders finding strength from weakness, realising what helps them generally does helps me, the recognition has been an awakening.”
Ian ‘Chalky’ White former 17th/21st Lancers and B Sqn 22 SAS
Veterans In Action have been filming our expeditions for many years for our YouTube Channel, Veterans Expeditions Overland, and through this experience of not only running the expeditions but also capturing footage that enables veterans who have taken part in a place of reference to recapture how they felt by taking part.
The Veterans In Focus project enables veterans to learn new skills and record not only the expeditions we run but also the day-to-day work on all projects connecting them all together so everyone feels involved in all aspects of the work we do.
VIA take a long-term approach to helping veterans who suffer to enable them to grow within a project working alongside their peers. All this can be achieved within this project which can be ongoing and would allow veterans to learn new skills or to pass on skills learned during their time in the services
Some of the outcomes of the project are a sense of purpose, regaining confidence and working in an environment alongside other veterans where they can instantly feel relaxed, chilled-out, secure, and safe.
Veterans can work at their own pace, stop thinking negatively, concentrate, learn new skills, be part of building something, and most importantly where problems are understood this will positively impact mood and stress levels.
For those involved in the project, they can also get involved on an expedition HERE
I became involved with VIA in 2010 after my life took a turn for the worse and was invited along to do some fundraising with them. This helped me no end and in time my life got back on track. I completed a Union Flag Walk with them from Cape Wrath to Land’s End which again helped as walking and talking with other veterans with similar stories was a great help in understanding how I was feeling. I gained control of my life again.
In 2019, I took part in an overland expedition travelling through the Spanish Pyrenees and whilst away my life took a turn for the worse again due to family problems back in the UK. On my return I had to start again and rebuild and focus on the future and with the help of Veterans In Action I got back on track and took control.
I now own and run my own courier business.
Mark Colman former Royal Engineers
To date, we have travelled 25,000 miles travelling through 30 different countries and some of them several times both on overland expeditions for humanitarian aid through the pandemic and more recently supplying medical humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
It is important to note that to take part in one of our overland expeditions we insist that veterans get involved in the BUILD IT part of the project. The reason for this is part of the Post Traumatic Growth process which is our method for helping veterans so that veterans can grow within a team of their peers, learning new skills and relearning old skill sets that may have been forgotten after service.
Leading up to an expedition involves expedition training which will include off-road driving, navigation, camp setups, camp cooking and daily maintenance, something most veterans will understand from their time in the services.
It would be unfair for any individual to turn up on the day of an expedition who hadn’t previously been involved as everyone else would have been working together over a long period of time so due to the very nature of the mental health problems of those we take out on expedition turning up on day 1 for any individual could become very difficult to find where they fit in no matter how welcoming everyone was.
It is the involvement long-term on building the vehicles that enable veterans to grow that gets them to a place where they fully enjoy all aspects of the expedition experience starting from the minute that an overland expedition sets off.