Ex-Special Operations soldier wants to save lives in Murray Bridge
Nathan Bolton will share his story at an upcoming suicide prevention network event.
After two tours of Afghanistan with the Australian Army, Nathan Bolton thought he had already faced the greatest danger he would ever face in his life.
He was wrong.
As a roadside bomb disposal engineer, he was blown up twice and dodged grenades and gunfire on a regular basis.
But depression and post-traumatic stress disorder would prove a more formidable enemy than the Taliban.
“I never could have imagined that the greatest battle I would ever face was not out there amidst the guns, the explosions or the bullets or the bombs, but instead right here, back home, in the comfort of my own lounge chair,” he said.
“It was here I would meet an enemy that would show no mercy ... an enemy that would get closer to killing me than anything else ever did.”
Mr Bolton will be a guest of the Murray Bridge Suicide Prevention Network at a public meeting on February 3.
He hoped telling his story would help to break the stigma around mental health, to educate people about the topic and help those who were still fighting find the support they needed.
Spokesman Trevor Smith hoped the meeting would encourage more people to get involved in local efforts to prevent suicide.
Working together, in a well connected community, could save lives.
“We’ve got a few things on the agenda for this year,” he said.
“It would be lovely to get some new people on board.”
Anyone interested in hearing Mr Bolton’s story will be welcome at Murray Bridge RSL at 5.30pm on February 3, ahead of a six o’clock start.
- Register: www.eventbrite.com.au.
- Get help: Talk to your GP; contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636; or, in an emergency, call 000.
- More information: spnmurraybridge@outlook.com.
You can help keep local stories like this one free for everyone to read. Subscribe to Murray Bridge News today and support your locally owned news outlet, plus get access to exclusive stories you won’t find anywhere else, for just $5.50 a month.
