A former British soldier has opened up on his battle with drug and alcohol addiction brought on by PTSD.
Larne man Anthony McToal joined the Royal Irish Regiment in 2009 in the aftermath of 9/11 and went on to serve a tour in Afghanistan.
The former St Comgall's College pupil was later discharged from the forces in 2013 after his mental health deteriorated which led him down a path of using class A and B drugs along with alcohol as coping mechanisms.
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Speaking to Belfast Live, Anthony said that when he left the army, he felt that there was no support there for him.
"Initially when I came home from Afghanistan I started waking up looking for my rifle. Then when I was out shopping, I started to react to loud bangs but it didn't really heighten until I had left the army.
"At the start, I thought that it was normal and just readjusting to being back home but when I left I started to get a lot of conscious and unconscious flashbacks which still affect me."
Anthony said that following that, he noticed that he was getting angry over things which wouldn't normally have affected him and felt it had changed him as a person.
"When I left I never heard much from the military and I think it is a case of once you are out, you are out," he added.
"I was released early from service because my mental health was slipping and when I got out, the support just wasn't there.
"I ended up taking a lot of alcohol and turning to drug abuse to try and block it all out.
"Recently, I have found a few charities who help ex-forces and through them I have got the help that I needed.
"I felt that there was a stigma there but I knew I needed help and got myself off the drink and drugs which was a really big turning point.
"I wanted to provide a better life for my three children."
Through his friend Gary Beggs, Anthony has recently discovered cold water immersion and has now embarked on a 300 day challenge to raise money for Women's Aid ABCLN and Men's Alliance NI.
"I had seen Gary uploading videos and sent him a message to ask why he was jumping in the water.
"He said that it was great for his mental health and after a few short conversations he talked me into joining him.
"I started on 22nd December and I haven't missed a day since.
"When I get in, all that I can think about is the water. It gives you an increase in endorphins by 250 per cent.
"When I come out of the water I am smiling from ear to ear and it really sets me up for the day."
Anthony is hoping to raise £2,500 through his GoFundMe page which will be split equally between Women's Aid and Men's Alliance.
"I wanted to have a good amount to split between these charities. Mental health is an ever growing problem and I would encourage anyone to check out my Facebook page and come join me on one of the sessions because it will give you the opportunity to meet new friends and wash some of your worries away."
For more information on Anthony's challenge visit the Cold Water Warrior Facebook page or to donate check out his GoFundMe.
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