'Angry' veteran finds support for PTSD in Mates4Mates

EVERY time Dean West swings in “anger” at the white ball at the Noosa Springs golf course, five fallen Diggers engraved on his bracelet receive a huge lift.

MATES HELPING MATES: Aussie Dean West, left, and Englishman Bernie Broad. Picture: Peter Gardiner

EVERY time Mates4Mates hacker Dean West swings in "anger" at the little white ball at the Noosa Springs golf course, the five fallen Diggers engraved on his wrist bracelet receive a huge lift.

The 43-year-old's solid forearms may not be able to steer the ball straight to the greens, but each bears a tattoo whose words touch the hearts of the 10 Aussie and 10 Brit mates teeing off.

Dean, from Beachmere, has inked Lest We Forget and Brothers In Arms on his forearms.

The legacy of his time in the defence force was dark and dreadful for many years after he survived a deadly crash in the Army in 1993.

He was on the way to an Army exercise when the vehicle he was in was totalled by a drunk driver in a bus.

"I broke my back and did a lot of other injuries to myself," Dean said.

The accident eventually took away his marriage and saddled him with anger-management issues.

"I tried to carry on as normal, as you do, but you self-implode. You end up in jail and hospital," he said.

"Then I finally got help - I was diagnosed with PTSD."

Post-traumatic stress disorder was ruining his life, but then Mates4Mates stepped in.

"They look after you," Dean said of the support service for ex-servicemen and women.

"You're not just a number.

"It's not like 'you've had your hour (of therapy), come back in two weeks'.

"With Mates4Mates, everyone has been through the same sort of stuff.

"I'm getting there - a lot better than what I was."