Highlighting Mental Health Awareness
With individuals and organisations all over the UK promoting Mental Health Awareness this week, one member of the British Forces Cyprus community has spoken out about both his and his wife’s troubles with the illness.
Corporal Nathan Curtis, who works for the Cyprus Joint Police Unit in Episkopi, has endured severe bouts of ‘anxiety and helplessness’ since his third operational deployment began in 2019.
The 31-year old attributes his struggles to his failure to cope with his wife’s battle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of the traumatic birth of their identical twin girls in 2016
Recent statistics estimate that approximately 10 per cent of the world’s population suffer from some type of mental illness but as more people now feel confident talking about this once stigmatised subject, that number is likely to be much higher.
Addressing his own struggles, Corporal Curtis explained what he felt was at the heart of his battle: “Whilst away on my third deployment (Iraq, Afghanistan, Oman), I suffered with my own mental health issues. Whilst I was away, I suffered with anxiety and helplessness and this is because my wife was diagnosed with PTSD resulting from the birth of our twins.
“When their birthday on October 3, 2021, approached, she was getting flashbacks of the pregnancy, the weeks leading up to it and the weeks after, when our twins were in intensive care.
“After their birth 10 week premature birth, the twins were in and out of hospital every month and there were times, when we feared that Charlotte in particular may not make it but our family were fairly close by to support us thankfully.”
When his posting to Cyprus happened in April 2018, that family support network was no longer there and it was during his deployment just over a year later, when the previously ‘stronger’ twin, Millie, had respiratory issues and was admitted to hospital, that his mental health issues began.
“This caused a host of problems, like what to do with the other twin, our son Noah and the dogs? This all affected me massively, I changed as a person, my personality and my normal behaviour ceased to exist, and I withdrew.
“The main reason was that I wasn’t there to support my wife and do all those things that have been my responsibility since they were born. I felt useless and that my life on operations was no way near as chaotic as my wife’s. I felt bad for having a good day and I started using my hobby of functional fitness training as a way of punishing myself, making myself sick during workouts.”
Mental health experts say, this type of coping mechanism to stress and anxiety is not uncommon, but had it not been for caring and observant friends, the situation could have got out of control according to Corporal Curtis.
He continued: “My Senior NCO and my friend on tour, decided that enough was enough and sat me down to talk about what was going on. Not one for asking for help or telling individuals my problems, we had a good talk and I found it very useful offloading my stresses and worries.”
It was in this moment that Corporal Curtis had what could be described as an epiphany: “I was like, ‘I wonder who else is suffering but too proud to ask for help’? So, I made it my mission to change this and in November 2019, in line with ‘Movember’ fundraising, I rowed 60 kilometres on a Concept2 rower and raised £839 for men’s health and last year, I ran 60 kilometre and raised £945.”
But his attempts to raise awareness didn’t end there: “I was on several social media platforms talking about my story and those videos have been watched over 12,000 times. I received so many nice messages on the back of those videos and I hope to raise even more, much-needed awareness for the issue, I have big plans for this year.”
On a happier note, Corporal Curtis reports that the twins health issues have improved in the past year and his wife is now doing much better, but they are still taking it one day at a time: “We know that every year around the twins birthday that things can be difficult but we now know how to cope with it better.
“Our support network in Cyprus is now excellent, we have plenty of good friends and SSAFA — the Forces charity — have been a huge support to my wife and I am very grateful for that.”
In a final message to those suffering with mental health issues of their own, Corporal Curtis said: “I don’t want people to be embarrassed about speaking up. Men in particular are not very good at this, but that must change. Speaking about a problem can help you so much, I know it certainly did for me.
For more information on Mental Health Awareness Week, go to, www.mentalhealth.org.uk