Veterans find strength through resilience
Hobart Lived Experience Peer and Army veteran Kyle Moyle has seen first-hand how Tasmania’s Group Program offerings have changed lives for the better.
Since it began earlier this year, he and his fellow Open Arms peers have helped to support 22 veterans to successfully complete 3 separate 8-week programs in Hobart, Burnie and Launceston.
Kyle says the Peers and clinicians who were involved in delivering the 3 programs were all proud of the veterans and the impressive progress they had made. ‘Every one of them came for the 8 weeks and stayed for 2 hours each week,’ he says. ‘No-one dropped out – which is absolutely amazing.’
Kyle, who has had his own struggles with mental health, says it was great to see the veterans now implementing positive changes in their lives: ‘For example, veterans who have enrolled in the program, some of whom had been discharged for a number of years, are having some amazing personal breakthroughs. It gave me goosebumps to hear how they came to this self-realisation as they reflect on their journey and the impact service has had on their identity.’
The veteran-specific programs are focused on helping local veterans reflect on how they react to stress and develop practical skills to reduce the impact of stressful situations.
The programs have been developed with intensive Peer involvement, with military-aware and trauma-informed principles underpinning the programs.
Stress can lead to distress, which is a longer-term change, and which can be serious enough to result in the development of disorders including anxiety, depression and PTSD.’ These programs can help veterans to better understand service culture, to recognise stress and potential emotional triggers, and learn how to develop coping mechanisms and stress management techniques.
Image (L to R): Open Arms Lived Experience Peers Shane Morgan, Kyle Moyle and Gerard Burke