Audio series - 'Open Conversations'

Sharing stories can help us feel more connected to each other, especially if you’re feeling isolated.

Our new audio series, 'Open Conversations', presents stories of recovery from the veteran community, featuring veterans and veteran family members that have accessed support services to improve their lives, and the lives of those around them. In many cases, recovery has inspired these individuals to support others, and they share their insights in managing their wellbeing on an ongoing basis.

We hope these stories are intended to empower others to take the next steps in their mental health support journey. Take a listen, and let others that might benefit know about them.

  • Soldier walking along a dirt road

    Nathan calls in ‘fire support’

    Nathan is a Community Peer Adviser with Open Arms. He spent 20 years in the Infantry before being medically discharged with post-traumatic stress (PTS) in 2016.
  • An old photo of a man and woman having lunch

    Dannii found she had a future after all

    Dannii, the daughter of a Vietnam veteran, knows that recovery isn’t a linear journey. She grew up in a household where her father's chronic PTSD meant she and her brother wouldn’t know what the next day would bring.
  • A woman and elderly man pose for a selfie

    Kristy helps share the burden for families

    Kristy joined the Navy straight out of school but was medically discharged two years later with a serious back injury.
  • A soldier and gun

    Kyle provides the kind of support that saved him

    Kyle joined the Army in 2010 and 18 months later deployed to Afghanistan. What he experienced during the deployment gave rise to posttraumatic stress (PTS). Kyle is now an Open Arms Peer Worker.
  • Family Silhouette

    Matt wins his battle with the bottle

    Matt is a former member of the Royal Australian Navy. Diagnosed with PTSD, he faced significant mental health challenges on his transition from military to civilian life.