Andy: “You Can Overcome PTSD”

Warning: The following article and audio contain mentions of PTSD, trauma and suicide. If you need support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au.

Key points:

Andy Cullen, defence veteran and advocate knows the impacts of PTSD all too well.

Having been deployed to Afghanistan several times, he has experienced PTSD and other health issues stemming from the horrific experiences he endured will on mission, many of which lingered long after he arrived back home.

“Much of my career was focused in bomb disposal and we saw a lot of the horrors of war with innocent people killed and friends killed,” Andy told Dwayne Jeffries.

“I served 17 years in the Australian army, and it saw me deploy on multiple occasions to Afghanistan and other places around the world.”

“Post traumatic stress disorder is a horrible thing… I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy… It’s just a horrific experience to go through.”

Family and community matters

“Unfortunately, I brought a lot of that trauma back home into my family and my wife and young kids at the time sort of had to learn to cope with dad coming home, trying to fit into society post war.”

Andy remembers “carrying them [his children] through the house, trying to simply render first aid,” and experiencing disturbing PTSD fuelled flashbacks.

“Post traumatic stress disorder is a horrible thing… I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy… It’s just a horrific experience to go through.”

Andy has found an anchor in his community, faith and family, crediting “an amazing wife that stood by me through all of this stuff” and says he “found faith during this period, which gave me a real solid understanding of my identity and purpose outside of the military.”

“You can overcome this stuff, you can walk through it, and you can actually thrive.”

PTSD happens to lots of people

Understanding the roots of PTSD is essential not just for veterans and their families, but for anyone who has experienced significant trauma.

“Post-traumatic stress and moral injury and these things can have a really profound effect on the mind,” Andy said and explains the importance of understanding where it all started.

A common thread is the understanding that PTSD is not just experienced by veterans but by people in all walks of life.

“The reality is everyone’s impacted by trauma in their lives. You can’t live a life trauma free,” Andy explains.

PTSD is not just experienced by veterans but by people in all walks of life.

What does PTSD look like?

“Symptoms are kind of individual… people experience symptoms in all sorts of ways.

“I remember when I was diagnosed with it and I was, I was sitting in a doctor’s office and he said, ‘mate, you’ve got post-traumatic stress disorder. You’re going to be like this for the rest of your life.'”

And while Andy doesn’t underplay the impact PTSD has, he disagrees that it’s a lifelong condition.

“You can overcome this stuff, you can walk through it, and you can actually thrive.

“As a charity, we support veterans first responders in the wider community suffering from PTSD and complex Post Traumatic stress disorder.”

Visit ptsdresurrected.org to learn more.

Listen to Dwayne’s conversation with Andy in the player above.

If you or a loved one need support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au.

Feature image: Photo supplied by Andy and used with permission. Background image by CanvaPro