Boyan's story

Boyan came to us for help after moving to London and finding himself in crisis.

“Before I came to the UK, I served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, two years in the war, receiving a medal of honour from the president. I came here because my family had moved here under the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme. Once I came over here, I started to struggle with PTSD from my experiences in the war – it hit me 2-3 months after arriving here. I was aggressive, stressed, depressed, worried, paranoid. I just didn’t know how to handle my emotions. I became suicidal and just thought it would be easier if I wasn’t here anymore, or if I went back to fight on a one way ticket.

I didn’t know how to fit into normal life. The only thing that stopped me following through with my plans was my son. I wanted to be here for him. So I decided to look for help. I found James’ Place on Google and they invited me to come for an appointment. As soon as I met my therapist Rob I knew I was in the right place. He calmed me down, explained what I was going through in a simple and understandable way. He used a set of cards that helped me identify what I was feeling and that helped me feel more clear minded. We talked about difficult things that happened during the war, we talked about my childhood and how a lost a parent at a young age. It really helped me to let it all out.

Since I finished at James’ Place I’ve started to get my life back together, I’m doing a course for future work in construction, I’m trying to help other friends who are also veterans with what I’ve learnt. Most importantly I’m spending lots of time with my son to make up for the time I’ve missed. I’m grateful to James’ Place for helping me make the choice to stay alive.”

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