'I was dying inside' - the Plymouth army veteran recovering from PTSD

  • Watch Sam Blackledge's report

A Plymouth army veteran has opened up about her battle with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Clare Hearl served as a clerk in the Light Infantry regiment, completing tours of Cyprus, Northern Ireland and the Middle East. But when she returned to civilian life, the trauma began to take its toll.

Clare served as a clerk in the army. Credit: Clare Hearl

"You get functioning alcoholics - I'm the same with my mental health", she told ITV News.

"I didn't believe I warranted any help because at the end of the day I was still getting up, I was still being a mum, I was still going to work. Even though inside I was basically dying."

According to new figures from the Ministry of Defence, one in eight UK forces personnel sought help with their mental health last year, a figure which has risen steadily over the past decade.

Clare believes there was not enough support when she was serving.

Clare has compared her struggle with mental health to that of a 'functioning alcoholic'. Credit: Clare Hearl

"I had to carry out duties in the CVO team," she said. "So when a soldier gets injured or loses their life, you then have to go and deliver the news.

"Twenty years later that is what I still really struggle with, the fact that the end of the day we walked in and ruined somebody's life forever."

Clare's shop - which she has named the 'Crafty Black Dog' - donates a portion of its profits to veterans' charities.

"I do still have some horrendous days, but I now have the tools to cope and to bring myself back to the present day.

"This is now my happy place", she added.