Living with Gulf War illness and PTSD: a partner's account and what's changed

The author recounts life with a husband affected by Gulf War illness and PTSD, describing the emotional strain, the loss of local support, medication and health-monitoring changes after moving abroad, and frustration with government responses. The piece notes that research continues into causes of Gulf War illness, recommends evidence-based PTSD treatments and specialist veteran services, and urges sustained, joined-up care for veterans and families.

A personal account that hasn't gone away

My husband Ian served 18 years in the British Army and was deployed in the First Gulf War. He returned with physical and mental health problems that we now understand as Gulf War illness (often called Gulf War Syndrome) and PTSD.

Living with someone who is physically unwell is hard, but living with someone who is mentally unwell is harder still. You can see a limp or a scar; you can't see the nightmares or the sudden panic. The bright, loving man I married is frequently not the same person I met in 1998.

Support that fell away

When I first met Ian he was being treated at a centre he called Ty Gwyn in Llandudno, North Wales, where he received support for Gulf War illness and PTSD. That place and the friends we made there - like our dear friend Charlie - were lifelines. When Charlie died, our practical and emotional help dropped to almost nothing. For people with complex, chronic conditions, losing trusted supporters is devastating and restarting trust is very hard.

Medical care and unanswered questions

After we moved to Spain, Ian's medication was adjusted by a local doctor. A blood test found high cholesterol, which can accompany inactivity and some medications, but whether it is a direct consequence of Gulf War illness is not settled. Ian is also being investigated for other conditions. ¹

Many veterans feel the Ministry of Defence and successive governments did not fully acknowledge or address the health problems linked to Gulf deployments. Concerns about exposure to multiple vaccines and prophylactic drugs during the Gulf War have been raised by veterans and researchers; investigations and studies have continued in the UK, the US and internationally. The precise causes of Gulf War illness remain complex and under study. ²

What helps now

Research now treats Gulf War illness as a multi-system, chronic condition rather than a single disease. Treatment focuses on symptom management, rehabilitation and mental health care. For PTSD, effective options include trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), EMDR, and medication where appropriate.

If you are caring for a veteran: keep detailed medical records, ask for referrals to specialist veteran services, and reach out to charities and official services such as Veterans UK, Veterans' Gateway, Combat Stress, SSAFA and Help for Heroes for practical and psychological support.

A plea

Governments can hold parades and issue medals, but those do not replace long-term, consistent care. Veterans and their families need ongoing, joined-up health and welfare services, informed by research and delivered with compassion.

May your nights bring you rest.

1. Confirm existence, role and current status of 'Ty Gwyn' centre in Llandudno and whether it provided Gulf War/ PTSD services in 1998.[[CHECK]]
2. Verify clinical links between Gulf War service and specific medication side effects such as 'skyrocketing cholesterol' and whether this was reported as a common consequence of Gulf War illness.[[CHECK]]
3. Check historical records on which vaccines or experimental prophylactic drugs were administered to British Gulf War personnel and the findings of official investigations into those exposures.[[CHECK]]