Trauma Informed Support For Male Veterans Struggling To Cope With Military Sexual Trauma

At Forward Assist we recognise that men can also experience military sexual violence and the impact on their lives can be wide-ranging and long-term. If you have experienced rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, or any type of sexual violence while serving in the military you can talk to us. We know that speaking to someone about what has happened and how you feel can seem like a very big step. All Forward Assist staff are professionally qualified, trauma informed and have had specialist training. We also have a qualified Independent Sexual Violence Advisor, their role is to provide person centred therapeutic input as well as ;

• provide accurate and impartial information to victims and survivors of military sexual violence

• provide emotional and practical support to meet the needs of the victim or survivor

• provide support before, during and after court

• act as a single point of contact

• ensure the safety of victims, survivors and their dependents

• ensure the correct processes are being followed and provide victim advocacy

 We will always listen to you, believe you and support you. We can also provide specialist information, advice and guidance while you wait for therapy.

Whatever element of the service you access we will always be led by you. You can go at your own pace, and you don’t have to talk about anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. Staff will never judge you or put pressure you.

 Services Provided

If you're having difficulties related to Military Sexual Trauma , we have a range of services to meet your needs. We can help you in a 1-1 setting or group, learn more about how MST affects people. We can provide treatment that helps you cope with how MST is impacting your life. Or if you'd prefer, we can provide treatment that involves discussing your experiences in more depth.

We also have a range of holistic therapies that aim to enhance the mind-body-spirit connection to improve well-being, lower stress, and help to reduce trauma responses.

What is Trauma?

According to the current psychiatric classification system (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-5), a traumatic event is one in which the person was exposed to:

• Death.

• Threatened death.

• Actual or threatened serious injury or actual or threatened sexual violence.

• Direct exposure: Witnessing in person.

• Indirectly, by learning that a close relative or close friend was exposed to trauma.

• If the event involved actual or threatened death, it must have been violent or accidental.

• Repeated or extreme indirect exposure to aversive details of the event(s) (usually in the course of professional duties) (e.g., first responders, e.g. professionals repeatedly exposed to details of sexual abuse). This does not include indirect non-professional exposure through electronic media, television, movies, or pictures.

• Emotional and Psychological Symptoms of Trauma.

• Shock, denial, or disbelief.

• Anger, irritability.

• Mood swings.

• Guilt, shame, self-blame.

• Feeling sad or hopeless.

• Confusion, difficulty concentrating.

• Anxiety and fear.

• Withdrawing from others.

• Feeling disconnected or numb.

• Sadness.

“Individual trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.”

In other words, a trauma-informed organisation pursues an approach in all areas of its operations to prevent the replication of traumatic experiences or dynamics among clients and staff and avoids adding to the chronic stress people carry.
Both Forward Assist & Salute Her UK are organisations that are trauma-informed and committed to providing services that do ‘no harm’ and are ‘person centred’ and ‘needs led’.

• We understand…the widespread impact of trauma and the potential paths for recovery.

• We recognise…the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, family, staff and others involved in the system.

• We respond…by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into our policies, procedures and practices.

• We actively seek…to minimise the risk of re-traumatisation whilst accessing our service.

What is Military Sexual Trauma?

Military sexual trauma, or MST, is not a term recognised by the Ministry of Defence or the Office for Veterans Affairs in the UK. In the USA it is used to refer to experiences of sexual assault or repeated, threatening sexual harassment that a Veteran experienced during his or her military service. MST includes any sexual activity during military service where a Veteran was involved against his or her will -- he or she may have been: • pressured into sexual activities (for example, with threats of negative consequences for refusing to be sexually cooperative or with implied better treatment in exchange for sex); • unable to consent to sexual activities (for example, when intoxicated); or • physically forced into sexual activities. Other experiences that fall into the category of MST include: • unwanted sexual touching or grabbing; • threatening, offensive remarks about a person's body or sexual activities; and • threatening and unwelcome sexual advances. The identity or characteristics of the perpetrator, whether the Veteran was on or off duty at the time, and whether he or she was on or off base at the time do not matter. If these experiences occurred while an individual was on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training, they are considered to be MST.

How common is MST?

In America, the Department of Veterans Affairs has a national screening program, in which every Veteran seen for health care is asked whether he or she experienced MST. This programme provides data on how common MST is among Veterans seen in VA. National data from this program reveal that about 1 in 3 women and 1 in 50 men respond “yes,” that they experienced MST, when screened by their VA provider. Although rates of MST are higher among women, because there are so many more men than women in the military, there are actually significant numbers of women and men seen in VA who have experienced MST.

How can MST affect Veterans?

Although trauma can be a life-changing event, people are often remarkably resilient after experiencing trauma. Many individuals recover without professional help; others may generally function well in their life but continue to experience some level of difficulties or have strong reactions in certain situations. For some Veterans, the experience of MST may continue to affect their mental and physical health in significant ways, even many years later. Military Sexual Trauma MST is an experience, not a diagnosis or a mental health condition, and as with other forms of trauma, there are a variety of reactions that Veterans can have in response to MST. The type, severity, and duration of a Veteran’s difficulties will all vary based on factors like whether he/she has a prior history of trauma, the types of responses he/she received from others at the time of the MST, and whether the MST happened once or was repeated over time. Although the reactions men and women have to MST are similar in some ways, they may also struggle with different issues. Race/ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and other cultural variables can also affect the impact of MST. Some of the reactions both female and male survivors of MST may have include: Strong emotions: feeling depressed; having intense, sudden emotional reactions to things; feeling angry or irritable all the time, feelings of numbness: feeling emotionally ‘flat’; difficulty experiencing emotions like love or happiness Trouble sleeping: trouble falling or staying asleep; disturbing nightmares, difficulties with attention, concentration, and memory: trouble staying focused; frequently finding their mind wandering; having a hard time remembering things Problems with alcohol or other drugs: drinking to excess or using drugs daily; getting intoxicated or “high” to cope with memories or emotional reactions; drinking to fall asleep. Difficulty with things that remind them of their experiences of sexual trauma: feeling on edge or ‘jumpy’ all the time; difficulty feeling safe; going out of their way to avoid reminders of their experiences Difficulties in relationships: feeling isolated or disconnected from others; abusive relationships; trouble with employers or authority figures; difficulty trusting others Physical health problems: sexual difficulties; chronic pain; weight or eating problems; gastrointestinal problems Although posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is commonly associated with MST, it is not the only diagnosis that can result from MST. For example, the diagnoses most frequently associated with MST among users of VA health care are depression and other mood disorders, and substance use disorders. Fortunately, people can recover from experiences of MST, and Salute Her has specialist services to help with this. (Adapted from the US Department of Veterans Affairs website)

 Forward Assist offer confidential, gender specific, trauma informed support.Forward Assist now have a funded LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Support Worker. If you would like to access any of the support described above email: admin@forward-assist.com

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