Paul Wilkie was 42 years old when he retired from the British Armed Forces and returned to his home in Perth, Scotland. He took a job as a police officer and slowly adjusted back to civilian life. Everything was going well with him and his wife until one day, he got into a terrible vehicular accident. He got severely injured.
Being in the hospital triggered years upon years of memories he collected while serving his country. Paul had held back his experiences in wars and tours, and those emotions engulfed him again. He had long suppressed those horrors, and now they kept coming back.
Trauma
After he was released, the flashbacks continued to return. Paul saw images of himself being held at gunpoint and his friends being killed in battle. Any slight movements or familiar images would trigger a panic attack. The stress pushed him to drink, and he spent countless nights in pubs trying to dull his mind.
His alcohol dependence ended his marriage. Paul’s wife tried to help him, but he would lash at her. She eventually made him leave.
With nowhere to go, Paul hopped on his bike and moved to the woodlands outside their town. He only took the clothes on his back and a piece of tarp for shelter.
A new life
For the next seven months, Paul lived in misery in the forest, haunted by his demons. But his life soon made a drastic change. A worker from a charity organization, which mainly focuses on helping veterans, found him.
The guy said their group would help him get a cottage to live in. They will also get him the medical treatment he needs to overcome his trauma and alcohol addiction. Basically, they wanted to turn his life around.
But the one thing that truly helped the veteran was an emotional support dog named Irma. The pooch was by his side as he went through numerous treatments and operations. During the course of his medical journey, Paul would fall into a deep depression and his support animal always brought him up. Thankfully, the worst is over, and he is now looking at a better future.
Source: BRAVEHOUND via Facebook