A broken, bed-bound veteran who suffered intense physical and psychological trauma during his service has made a heroic recovery, and is now dedicating his life to helping others who have been in the same boat.
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Well before lockdown Alistair Mills had spent eight years stuck in his house and four years totally bed-ridden with a debilitating laundry list of physical and mental illnesses.
After 15 years of service in the army and 17 in the air force, Mr Mills was left with searing nerve pain, fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, Gulf War illness from toxin exposure, and post traumatic stress disorder.
Worst of all was the feeling of despair and utter uselessness he felt over the years, which he only overcame with the help of some old commando mates who helped him through the dark times.
"You've got a parrot that sits on your should that tells you you're crap, that you're useless, that you're no good, that you're washed up and nobody cares," Mr Mills said.
"But then but then all of a sudden you find people who do care, and you share the good times, the parties with them, the trips with them."
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With the help of his mates and long, intense periods of therapy, Mr Mills started to get his life back together and to heal, physically and emotionally.
He recovered so much strength that he became able to climb Anzac Peaks mountain in New Zealand, a feat that would have seemed completely impossible to him just years before.
Mr Mills says he still bears the scars of his former life, and always will, but they no longer hold him back from making the most out of life.
"You put the bits of Humpty Dumpty together again, but it's always different. You can always see the cracks - like those Japanese ceramics that have been repaired with gold," Mr Mills said.
"But you can start to understand your own journey from a different perspective, and you start to transcend victimhood and you start to get the rubber on the road for your own healing."
Mr Mills has recently become the secretary of the Pro Patria Centre, and he hopes to help others overcome their own uphill battles.
If you suffer from depression or anxiety you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Australian Defence Force support line on 1800 628 036.