Finding Purpose After the Storm: David Heaviside on Veterans and Mental Health.

🗣️ Episode Summary:

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Frankie sits down with David Heaviside, a former soldier with the British Army who served in 2nd Battalion, The Light Infantry (2 LI)—later part of 3 Rifles. David opens up about his military service, including a life-changing deployment to Iraq on Operation Telic, where he and his unit were hit by an IED.

After leaving the military, David faced a battle of a different kind—PTSD. He shares the dark spiral he experienced and how it nearly destroyed him. But this is a story of hope and resilience. David talks candidly about how he turned his life around and founded Veterans Activities for Mental Health, an organisation helping ex-forces personnel reconnect, heal, and find purpose through outdoor activities and peer support.

• Joining the Army in 2004

• Serving with 2 LI and the transition into 3 Rifles

• Experiences on Op Telic in Iraq

• The IED strike and its long-term impact

• Transitioning to civilian life

• The onset of PTSD and its effects on mental health, relationships, and identity

• Hitting rock bottom and the wake-up moment

• The decision to seek help and rebuild

• The birth of Veterans Activities for Mental Health

• How nature, movement, and connection became key to healing

🎙️ Interview Highlights:🪖 Life in the Army🧠 The Battle After the Battle💪 Taking Back Control

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