Former Kettering soldier opens up about PTSD and mental health issues in new book

A former Kettering soldier who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has released the first of two books about his life story.

Ben Close, who was in the Coldstream Guards regiment and served in Iraq, Bosnia and Afghanistan, wants ‘When War Follows You Home’ to help others.

The 38-year-old, who went to what is now Latimer Arts College, was eventually discharged from the Army in 2010 on medical grounds with PTSD.

And he hopes that, by publishing his story, he will be able to reach out to those who are struggling.

He said: “I know so many people that have gone down the wrong path or taken their life because of mental health issues and PTSD.

"This isn't just a story about me. I want it to reach out to people that may not even know they've been affected mentally and I want it to open people's eyes about mental health and PTSD and how it can get a hold of you.”

Ben’s life story has been split into two books, the first of which has been released and is now available to buy on Amazon.

It explores how he grew up in difficult circumstances, joining the Army in 2003, how Army training went and his tours of war zones. A second book will be released at a later date.

Ben said he didn’t initially know he was suffering from PTSD, which led to him drinking too much and getting in trouble.

After a couple of years at home he went back to work as a mercenary, tackling pirates in Somalia and then working in Yemen in 2016, when he began to try and write down everything he could remember about his life.

He said: "I started jotting down a bit of a diary of my life and didn't intend for it to be a book – it was almost like therapy and getting things off my chest.

"When I finished my last job I looked at how much I'd written down and it was 135,125 words. I just thought 'f***, what do I do with this?' It took up half my memory on my hard drive – then I started thinking about turning it into a book."

Ben eventually turned it into the ‘raw and courageous’ book, published by Welford Publishing, about how war battles can follow soldiers home.

It has already been praised in Amazon reviews and Ben hopes his story will help those with mental health issues.

He said: "There's not just one way out but you can beat it – it just takes the time and guidance to go full circle."