Chris Elliot

Chris Elliott's inspiring story offers hope to those struggling with PTSD. After decades of silent suffering and failed treatments, he finally found a therapy that worked – PTSD Resolution's innovative, non-invasive approach. Focusing on the future rather than reliving the past, Chris felt renewed. He now feels fitter, happier, and closer to family than ever before. His uplifting journey from rock bottom to recovery shows that no matter how hopeless things seem, healing is possible.

A Promising Start with Hidden Scars

When Chris Elliott was growing up, he was passionate about the military — and the outdoors — so a career in the Royal Air Force was a dream come true. But even as a ‘motorbike-mad’ teenager in East Sussex in the 1970s, the seeds of future trauma had already been sown.

Chris joined the RAF in 1980 as an aircraft engineer and describes his 22 years of Service as “very rewarding and enjoyable.” Beneath the successful exterior, however, past experiences had left him with a burden he carried silently. Chris had been groomed and abused by a respected senior riding instructor when he was a young teenager, a betrayal he believes contributed to the Post Traumatic Stress that would eventually “catch up with him.”

When the Pain Surfaces

While outwardly thriving in the Service, Chris says his “bucket of personal grief” continued to fill as he encountered tragedies in the course of his career. It wasn’t until after he left the RAF that long-running tensions began to surface. Friends and family had suggested something might be wrong, and eventually — after repeatedly breaking down in tears at work — he sought medical help.

A doctor prescribed high-dose antidepressants which Chris says left him “stuck in a rut” with “no sense of self-worth.” The following years saw Chris struggle with alcohol, go through three divorces, and distance himself from his family. He describes himself as “frightened” of his own children, afraid of how they must have seen him. Increasingly desperate, he was self-harming regularly and even planned his own "escape."

Seeking Help — and Finding None

At this point, Chris was not reluctant to seek help — he just couldn’t get any. He approached various specialists, mental health professionals, and even some “big charities that are supposed to help Veterans” — but none were able to help him feel better about himself or his life.

It wasn’t until Chris was introduced to PTSD Resolution through a Veterans’ networking event that things began to change.

A New Way Forward

“PTSD Resolution therapy is non-invasive,” he explains. “You can give out as much information as you want, or as little — or none at all.” Relieved that he wasn’t required to relive his trauma, Chris was able to fully engage with therapy and turn his life around.

“The fact that you don’t have to relive it, you don’t have to tell the counsellor exactly what’s gone on — is massive,” he says. With this pressure lifted, Chris was finally able to focus on the future — discovering there were many things he could “fill his head with,” beyond the grief and sadness of the past.

Healing and Hope

Today Chris feels like a different person. He still remembers his past but has learned to live with it rather than be controlled by it. He acknowledges the past is unchangeable but now has the tools and perspective to move forward.

Family relationships have greatly improved. Chris even completed the Great North Run in 2022 with two of his daughters, while the rest of his family cheered him on — something he says would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

Now "fitter, healthier and more contented" than ever, Chris runs his own successful van courier business, has trained as a St John’s First Aider, and recently passed his final assessment to become a full-time Emergency Dispatch Assistant with the South Central Ambulance Service.

“A complete and huge change in my life direction — and none of this would have been possible without the amazing help and support of PTSD Resolution.”

A Message to Others

Chris's story highlights the importance of finding the right kind of therapy. The non-invasive, future-focused approach used by PTSD Resolution was the key to his recovery — enabling him to engage without retraumatization and build a meaningful future.

When asked if there’s anything else he’d like to say, Chris pauses — then smiles: “Just that I’m happy.”

For Chris — and many others — PTSD Resolution has been a lifeline. His journey shows that even in the darkest hours, there is a way forward.