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London veteran and OPCourage service user talks about the support he received from us and how the service changed his life. He also encourages other veterans to ask for help if they are struggling with their mental health.  

Anthony Muckell served in the Royal Marines for 11 years. After leaving the Marines, he struggled with his mental health and was diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

He met Consultant Clinical Psychologist and joint head of Op COURAGE: Veterans Mental Health and Well-being Service, Sue Ferrier, at a Royal British Legion meeting and that's when things started to change for the better. 

"Sue was the first person I felt that actually cared about finding out what was wrong with me. 

She realised that I was holding back something. Her understanding of how veterans are and their struggles, she knew what questions to ask and what to ask to get me open up. I didn’t know how to explain my situation, but she knew how to do it."

After being an OPCourage service user for about seven years, Anthony decided to become a volunteer and support the service. For him it was all about being the voice of other service users and give back to the service. 

"I felt so grateful for what the service had been done for me, I wanted to give back and be able to use my voice a bit more to help people in the service and those that need to get into the service.

Being a volunteer has given myself a little bit more self worth, a little bit of worth back that hopefully will help other people get the help they need."

Anthony encourages other veterans out there who are struggling with their mental health to come forward, seek for help and get in touch with our OPCourage service. 

"If you're someone that is feeling that there's anything wrong in any way with your mental health, it doesn't have to be PTSD, it can be depression. You might have problems with your sleep and don't know why.

If you have addiction problems and it's linked to anything to do with your mental health, please, please get in touch with OP Courage and take that very tough step of walking through the front door because for most of us that I know that have been through this service, it really does make a difference to your life."

He added: 

"If you know somebody who served that needs this kind of help, please get in touch with OPCourage.

Get them referred in or make sure you tell them about it because I know the toughest thing for my friends when I was ill, they didn't know where to go for me and they knew I was very reluctant to go there for myself."

Watch Anthony's message about how the OPCourage service changed his life: