Schema Therapy is a well established, evidenced-based Psychological Therapy for long-term and complex difficulties, including interpersonal challenges and emotional dysregulation. It is highly effective, makes intuitive sense to people when introduced to it, albeit quite demanding. Hence it is not a first line of treatment usually.
People easily start making sense of Schemas and modes which go a long way towards explaining why people feel the way they do, and behave the way they do. It is amazing the relief experienced already when things make sense and people don’t feel like ‘they might be going crazy’ anymore.
For more information on Schema Therapy please visit my page on Schema Therapy and download my leaflet and/or visit the International Society of Schema Therapy https://schematherapysociety.org/
A rather more recent and highly promising development on Schema Therapy has come from a colleague in Australia, Megan Fry, Clinical Psychologist and Advanced Schema Therapist. She coined the term ‘The Soldier Mode’. She has adapted the model to support veterans during and after their adjustment to civilian life. It is a great way to help them understand how things changed for them when they were conditioned to become Soldiers and how their basic emotional needs were pushed aside, ‘The Lost Self’ mode. This is because the latter is not useful for the military. If any traumas then experienced whilst serving, Soldiers end up with the ‘Wounded Soldier’ mode that includes any military related traumas and connects to the ‘Lost self’ which can include traumas/difficulties from before joining the military.
The above diagram gives a flavour of the process.
The whole model is appropriate for any ex-military personnel. It is flexible and appropriately adaptable.
So, if you are a veteran, please remember that Psychological Therapies could help. Seek support from the NHS, or specialist NHS services like MVS (Military Veterans’ Service) based in Bury, OpCourage, Combat Stress and a host of other Veterans’ charities.
I appreciate that veterans struggle to ask for help and women veterans in particular as well as LGBTQ+ veterans often feel excluded. It should not be this way. It does not have to be this way. Services are evolving and adapting. Please do not suffer in silence. Reach out. There is hope as well as genuine expertise out there for you.
Some Useful contacts:
Military Veterans’ Service (based in Bury). A Highly Specialist Psychological Therapies Service for all veterans: https://www.penninecare.nhs.uk/services/military-veterans-service 0300 323 0707
OpCourage: https://www.penninecare.nhs.uk/opcourage
Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust Helpline: 0800 014 9995
Combat Stress Free Helpline 24/7 for rather more urgent support: 0800 138 1619
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust Helpline in a crisis: 0800 953 0285
Diomidis Psomas 