Will Collett is an ex serving member of the AFP and the ADF. He is now the Founder and Coach of ‘Making Men’, a private group aimed at supporting good men everywhere.
By joining Fortem, Will hopes that by telling his story, he can help others and become a conduit to support if ever they find themselves in a similar situation & get the right help & support. If he can help one person through his story and experiences, then it has been successful.
Will states that, “As First Responders & Defence, the code we live by involves courage, mateship, sacrifice, and endurance. When something breaks inside us and we can no longer perform that code – our jobs, we are often challenged to find other meaning & direction in our lives”.
After 17 years in the AFP & 8 years in the ADF, Will was diagnosed with chronic PTSD in 2017 and experienced firsthand the need to have the right support. By sharing his story, Will hopes to help and support others to get the right support.
Will did not believe for one minute that he would ever be diagnosed with PTSD. He had helped mates through it in the past but never felt he would be susceptible.
Then within a very short space of time in late 2017 Will was faced with the reality of PTSD and this started to affect every aspect of his life from work, family, health, and physical fitness. Through this, Will had the support of a few good mates who had been there before. Without the right support it is a very difficult process and easy for a person to fall off the radar into helplessness.