Hi Reader,
I hope this finds you well.
You won't have heard from me as month over the last month as I was spending time with my girls... but I'm back and kicking off with this...
In the latest episode of the Simple Reflections Podcast, I speak with Stuart Anderson MP about military service, trauma, recovery and the courage to be vulnerable.
Stuart shares his journey from being a young Rifleman and suffering a life-changing gunshot wound, through years of PTSD, alcohol misuse and suicidal thoughts, to rebuilding his life with the support of his family, faith and professional help.
We also discuss leadership, purpose, family, sobriety, public service and the importance of ensuring that no veteran or serving Rifleman faces crisis alone. Listeners may also remember my 2025 conversation with Stuart’s wife, Sarah, who shared her perspective on living with PTSD within the family: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2132149/episodes/16817147
As we cover quite a bit of potentially upsetting and difficult territory, I thought I’d share some links to helpful organisations:
· If you’re a member of the RIFLES family – The Always a Rifleman Programme (https://theriflesnetwork.co.uk/page/aarp) runs a 24 hour emergency phone line staffed by former Riflemen: 0800 470 0941
· Starting points for other military charities:
o The Royal British Legion: https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/
o SSAFA: https://www.ssafa.org.uk/
· Civilian help points in the UK
o The Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/talk-us-phone/ or 116 123
o Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/
o Shout: https://giveusashout.org/ – a text based service for those who don’t want to speak to someone
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I hope you enjoy my conversation with Stuart.
Take care
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Dave Hill is a transformational coach, speaker and podcaster. Find out more by visiting his website; Simplicity in Mind, book a quick call or just reply to this email.
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