From fighting in Afghanistan, to the war on his own mental health, with Craig Monaghan

Not So Linear

English - March 25, 2021 23:00 - 33 minutes - 23.3 MB - ★★★★★ - 3 ratings
Mental Health Health & Fitness Education Self-Improvement grief bereavement mental health anxiety loss strength Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Previous Episode: Navigating sudden loss, to becoming a mental health first aid officer, with Sandra Rodriguez

Next Episode: How can I process my complicated grief? With Dr. Chloe

Trigger warning: This episode contains discussions around suicide and self harm.

Craig fought in one of the bloodiest battles in Afghanistan, where he lost 10 soldiers within his company and a further 10 to suicide upon returning to the UK. He encountered serious blast injuries and had difficulty adjusting back to 'normal' life. How could anybody else understand what he had just witnessed at war?

He then spiraled in to a path of self destruction, which led to drinking, fighting and sadly three attempts of suicide. Craig was then fighting a war on his own mental health and knew he needed to change. So, he turned to sport to give him purpose and meaning again. He competed in Chicago in the Invictus programme and played rugby for the England deaf team. Craig also runs a veterans charity, who offer support to ex military.

Thank you to Craig for sharing his story. You can find him on instagram @monaghan3433 and @veteransgarage

Please see below for phone numbers that could help you, or someone else experiencing suicidal thoughts:

Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14
Suicide call back service (Australia): 1300 659 467
Samaritans (UK): 116 123
CALM (UK): 0800 58 58 58

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