AA SPECIAL
MENTAL HEALTH
can leave your job, responsibilities or career behind you. The
moment you step into your camo costume - or just raise a
RIF - you are immediately outside your usual life experience.
And that will help bring perspective to your existence. It’s a
little like taking a holiday from yourself.
You’ll also most likely be up against pressure as a team to
achieve your objective - and that‘s a shortcut to working
together. So you can park your day-to-day dilemmas while
you build towards that objective as part of a team. In other
words, you’ll have no option but to live in the moment
rather than forecasting your fears and catastrophising about
your shortcomings.
MAGIC MOMENTS
Being “in the moment” is a well-documented strategy for
dealing with mental health that you can guarantee will
never mention airsoft in the self-help books and yet it’s one
of the most effective measures I’ve encountered.
Sai Kelly says that, “Airsofting is a good place to get
your buttons pushed with the potential for real therapy”,
specifically mentioning anger, unresolved issues and
interactions after the event. He says that it’s important to
feel supported and surrounded to make good on a desire
for improvement. “In a perfect environment with help from
teammates and friends, this can be a good scenario for
therapy. Providing no one gets trampled! I’ve given a fair
amount of apologies...”
Another AA contributor says, “Although I have had my
mental health issues over the years - depression is the gift
that just keeps giving! - I was in the middle of a divorce
when I first got into airsoft. I can attest that there is nothing
like shooting c**ts to clear the air a little!”
learned - and it’s a treat to watch them work. Others use
it as a way of dealing with problem issues from big bangs
to bad situations. They make a genuine contribution to the
team that we all benefit from.
WHAT IF?
With depression often comes anxiety. What if I’m not good
enough? What if I let everyone else down? What if I can’t
breathe?
Oversimplifying things massively, the single best thing
you can do to combat - pun intended this time - anxiety is
to face your fears. That might mean going to a crowded
space, handling a tarantula or taking a plane journey but
putting yourself in the line of plastic hail might also be a
good strategy.
Popular psychology bases recovery around facing specific
phobias but maybe fear in general is the real enemy for
some. If you can learn to control your fear response in one
scenario, then that could be a transferable skill.
I’ve experienced panic attacks while playing airsoft over
the years, but each time has been a learning experience
where I can practise coping techniques to incrementally
wage war on my inner demons. Whether taking a moment
out to count my breaths or saying “Fuck it!” and piling in
headlong, airsoft has taught me that even if I might not
win, I will prevail. As they say; adapt and overcome.
Now, I’m genuinely proud to say that at least one of my
squad calls me fearless because of the way I dive headfirst
into the fray.
TOGETHER ALONE
If you’re struggling with mental health issues right now,
there’s nothing more trite than someone saying, “You’re
FOR THE FORCES TOO
not alone”. Where are those people at midnight on a
Where airsoft used to be seen as nothing more than
Thursday? But it might at least help to know that more
wannabe playtime by the armed forces, things have moved
people than you think will understand. As our glorious
on. Especially
leader and
since agencies
Editor Nige
the world over
puts it,
“MY BRUSH WITH CANCER SENT ME TO VERY DARK AND FRIGHTENING PLACES.
now recognise
“Nothing
WHEN YOU ARE SUDDENLY CONFRONTED BY YOUR OWN MORTALITY, IT’S A
the benefits
is more
VERY EMOTIVE THING AND YOUR MOODS SWING AT THE DROP OF A HAT.
it has to offer
important
“THE AIRSOFT COMMUNITY HAS BEEN MASSIVELY SUPPORTIVE THROUGHOUT
for training.
than family
MY RECOVERY FROM MAJOR SURGERY; SOME OF THE LOCAL LADS DELIVERING
Airsoft has
- but family
ME A RATHER GRUESOME ‘KIDNEY CAKE’ WHEN I HAD ONE OF MINE REMOVED!
come a long
doesn’t
“THE KINDNESS, SUPPORT, AND GENERAL BLACK HUMOUR OF MY AIRSOFT
way from its
necessarily
FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD HAS MOST DEFINITELY SEEN ME THROUGH A
inception and
mean parents
TOUGH TIME THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR HARDER WITHOUT THEM.”
now attracts
and siblings”.
BILL PRYCE-THOMAS, AA CONTRIBUTOR
an increasing
And that
number
sentiment isn’t
of former
restricted to
servicemen and women looking to recapture the team spirit Fast and Furious movies - it holds true for airsoft too.
they’d experienced in action, as well as capitalise on their
Maybe you’ve always fancied trying airsoft or maybe
learned skills. And many of them are also recovering from
you’re taking a break from it, but why not pop down to
PTSD.
your nearest site and see what kind of welcome you get. If
I’m fortunate enough to have former soldiers on my
you know someone that’s having a hard time right now and
squad. Some of them just enjoy the teamwork they miss
you think they’d enjoy shooting people - purely for fun!
from active service and deploying the fieldcraft they’d
- let them know about airsoft in case it’s just the release
36
MAY 2020