Sally completed 22 years’ service in the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Physiotherapy Officer.
Following medical discharge, having found herself on the brink of suicide, Sally has gone on to complete numerous marathons and endurance challenges, as well as become an avid mental health campaigner.
"I started serving in the Armed Forces in 1998 but was unfortunately medically discharged in 2019 due to severe depression and chronic anxiety.
I’ve suffered with severe depression for over 25 years but didn't want to tell anyone in the Army because I didn't want to be medically discharged. I then found myself at a point where my local crisis team had to be involved as I could no longer see any reason to live. I do think if I'd have got help sooner, it might not have got to that point."
I felt that I'd lost any purpose in life when I was discharged from the military as it had been my life for over 20 years. It's what I lived and breathed and where most of my closest friendships were formed, but I was no longer a part of it. Losing that felt like losing everything.
Sally
"Now I've experienced the lowest you can experience – I've flipped to wanting to do as much as I can to support other people who might feel that way. I thought there wasn’t an end or way out to how I was feeling. Now, I share my experience to show how you can get through really difficult things, even when you don’t think it’s possible.
Samaritans has been crucial to my journey. In 2013 I had an incredibly impactful call - I remember the conversation clearly right down to what I was wearing, where I was sitting and what time I made the call. Having someone to listen to me and be with me in those really difficult moments is what I needed and something I’ll never ever forget.
There wasn't one standalone thing that I did that changed things for me - there was lots of things. That has led to me having a toolkit of knowing what things help me feel well. I always say to people that you wouldn't learn to swim in a storm, and so it’s important to learn what the things are that help you when you are well, so that when you start to become unwell, you know what it is that makes you come back up again. It will be different for everyone.
Running or any physical activity helps me and my mental health in so many different ways. It's getting outside, it's getting fresh air, and seeing the nature around you.
I hope that by sharing my story, I can help others realise that suicide is not the answer."
If a veteran or a member of the Armed Forces is struggling, I would highly recommend they pick up the phone and contact Samaritans because it's not going to go anywhere. It's anonymous and confidential. Your chain of command don't need to know, and that small thing, if it isn't spoken about, is only likely to get bigger and bigger.
Call Samaritans’ Veterans Emotional Support Hub, free, 24/7, on 0808 175 3075.