This week on Wellbeing is the last episode in our 14-week series on PTSD. Our guest today is Clare Mitchell, a psychologist and national Clinical Manager at Mates4Mates. Mates4Mates is a leading charity in Australia that supports ex-serving defense force members and their families impacted by service. Clare became a physiologist in 2014 after serving for six years in the Royal Air Force. She has a special interest in treating PTSD, complex trauma, grief and loss. 

In this episode, Clare talks about the struggles veterans have in asking for help with PTSD, what PTSD therapy looks like for veterans across different generations, the symptoms of PTSD to look out for, the services available to help veterans with PTSD, the importance of normalising PTSD in veterans, the stigma towards PTSD organizationally within the Defense Force, the steps in PTSD recovery and how veterans can live their best life even with PTSD as part of it.   

“One of the difficulties with the ADF (Australian Defense Force) training is you’re not allowed to show weakness, you’re not allowed to let the team down, and if you’re seen as weak in any way, that can be seen as letting the team down. I think it's important to normalise the difficulties that people may have and to talk about it.” - Clare Mitchell on this episode of Wellbeing 

Tune in next week when we speak with Dr Elysa Roberts about eating disorders.  

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Hosted and Produced by Jack Hodgins 
Wellbeing website: https://www.2nurfm.com.au/wellbeing 

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