Dogs were a big comfort in soldier’s stress battle

“I TRIED to be brave like a soldier should, but eventually it all got too much,” William Brown confessed. “And that’s when I had to admit I needed help.”

The former squaddie, from Glasgow, suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety and depression, a combination which he said “could literally pull a mind apart.”

But, with a little help, he’s learning to control the symptoms and move on with his life.

As a youngster, it was William’s ambition to join the army, following in the footsteps of his father Billy who clocked up several years’ service.

He signed up aged just 16 as an electrical and mechanical engineer. And over the next few years, his chosen career went from strength to strength.

William, 32, was deployed to Iraq and served in Afghanistan. Determined to get closer to the front line, he became a military dog handler, out on patrol searching for improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

But in 2011, everything changed. William took off his body armour after an exercise and experienced excruciating pain in his back.

“It came completely out of the blue,” he said. “And over the next few years, my back started to seize up and my legs would regularly give way.”

After numerous tests and scans, it was discovered William had severe bulging disc, a common injury which causes severe back and leg pain.

By 2013, the father-of-two had no choice but to accept a medical discharge. It threw his life into “utter disarray”.

“All I had known since leaving school was the Army,” he said.

“I was in pain almost daily. I was distraught having to give up on my dream career and felt a huge sense of loss. I tried to view it as the beginning of a new chapter – but things didn’t really go that way.”

William struggled to walk, run, even sit and not being able to play with kids Jack, 9, and Freddie, 2, was heartbreaking.

“All the while I was trying to ‘man up’ and be brave like a soldier feels he should, but I was mentally distressed,” he recalled. “It eventually got too much and I suffered a serious mental breakdown.”

William undertook a rehabilitation course with veteran mental health charity Combat Stress.

And now, he’s feeling well enough to reclaim his life.

Last year, William launched his own dog day care and training business, Urban Dog Glasgow, using his experience from the forces.

It’s a slow process, but he finds it’s helping him achieve a more positive outlook – and working with dogs is therapeutic.

“We had dogs as family pets all through my childhood. They’re great for anxiety. I instantly feel calmer when there’s a dog around.”

William’s partner Lianne, whom he wed earlier this year, has given up her job in marketing to help make the business a success.

“My mum used to work in kennels, so I guess I’m following in her footsteps now,” William smiled. “It’s small steps but, for now, it’s giving me a focus and something to feel proud of.”