Adam’s Story

“Launchpad has been brilliant, the house is so peaceful and my support worker, Sharon has been excellent. Trust is a massive thing for me and I felt comfortable and trusted her straight away. She made me feel valued and is very approachable.”

Adam, 47, from Kirkcaldy, Scotland, admits he’s had a really tough upbringing and sights a lot of the issues he experienced as a child, contribute largely to his complex PTSD.

Despite his homelife, Adam, who is one of five, always wanted to join the Army just like his brother. He loved sports and was keen on playing football. He joined the cadets at 10 years old and found himself in and out of foster care from the ages of 12-16.

He signed up to the Adjutant General’s Corps at 18, successfully completing phase 1 of training. Due to circumstances out of his control, he was unable to complete phase 2.

In 2002, he re-joined, initially training as a combat medical technician but eventually settling as a movement controller for the Royal Logistics Corps where he completed five years’ service.

He spent 5 months in Iraq and said it was stressful being attacked every night in Basra. Whenever there was downtime, he turned to alcohol to cope with his complex PTSD which now he realises laid dormant since childhood. It was also in 2005 when he turned trans, transitioning from female to male.

He got posted to Germany but alcohol and his life spiralled out of control and he spent time in hospital before being medically discharged in 2007.

Moving back to the UK, he qualified as a health trainer for the NHS and worked as a supervisor on a recycling initiative at the local authority which he really enjoyed. He said: “I was able to use my military experience to read maps and guide colleagues to deliver the service. I really enjoyed this role.”

He then moved to Buxton to start a family and fell pregnant with his daughter. He managed to stay off alcohol for a number of years and worked part-time to provide for his daughter.

After a visit to Scotland, things took a turn for the worse and he turned to alcohol again. He experienced severe trauma symptoms from his childhood and feared for his daughter, who went into care at the age of four. He also served nine months at HMP New Hall in Wakefield for breaking a suspended sentence.

In 2020, he went on detox and kickstarted his recovery. Three years later, he is still clean and is determined to put the past behind him. He is working hard on himself and also giving back to those who may be going through similar experiences.

He said: “I have come this far and I’m proud of myself. I want to give back and help those who may be going through what I’ve been through. The Armed Forces Outreach Service has been great – I have a lot to thank them for. They helped me to engage with a recovery college for my mental health and they have got me on the waiting list to get trauma treatment.”

Prior to Launchpad, Adam was living at Hardwick House in Middlesbrough and volunteers at Re-Co-Co – a recovery college in Newcastle that offers peer-led mental health education and support. He also completed their ambassador training programme and worked in the recovery café.

He moved into Launchpad’s Hollyacre House in November 2023 and said: “Launchpad has been brilliant, the house is so peaceful and my support worker, Sharon has been excellent. Trust is a massive thing for me and I felt comfortable and trusted her straight away. She made me feel valued and is very approachable. I like that human interaction.

“Launchpad treats me no differently. They always inspire and encourage me to get involved and I’m looking to continue to do my peer-support. I also volunteer with Rainbow Recovery in Middlesbrough to support and share my experiences with LGBTQIA around alcohol and drugs.”

Sharon said: “Adam is doing really well and is trying and turn his life around. He should be very proud of being three years clean. Since moving into Hollyacre House, he has engaged with staff and fellow residents which is great to see. It’s just going to take time but he is so keen to give back and help those who may be struggling.

“By the end of the year, he hopes to be working part-time and possibly full-time next year. He is already looking to move-on and live independently and re-engage with his daughter.”