A FORMER RAF firefighter has spoken out about his long battle with depression and PTSD, which saw him lose everything and end up living in his car.

Veteran Paul Metcalfe has chosen Blue Monday - regarded by many the most depressing day of the year - to urge those who are battling hidden psychological problems to seek help.

Paul, of Penrith, battled depression for 10 years, hitting “rock bottom” before being rescued by his sister.

He has now rebuilt his life, supported by Help for Heroes.

But with a new survey revealing that 30 per cent of veterans with mental health issues have never accessed support, Paul hopes his experience can inspire others to seek the help they need.

His own psychological problems included complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his time in the air force.

He has revealed it related to the very first aircraft crash he attended as an RAF firefighter, in which the pilot was killed.

During his career, Paul served in Canada, the Falklands, Cyprus and the first Iraq war. But damage to his back in a car accident led to him being medically discharged - losing his dream career as an RAF firefighter in the process. This also hit him hard - though he never admitted it.

“It took me 10 years to reach out for some help because I didn’t accept that I had a problem,” he said.

It began to affect all parts of his life. “Everything just went wrong. I lost my marriage; I lost my job; I lost my house, and I ended up living in my car,” said Paul, now 54.

“I couldn’t see any future. I just thought this is me – I’m going to be here for the rest of my life - living in my car, washing in the canal. There seemed no light at the end of the tunnel.”

Just when he felt like all hope was lost, his sister Sarah came to the rescue.

She brought him back to live with her in his native Cumbria while he got the help he needed.

In 2016, Paul was diagnosed with several mental health disorders, including complex PTSD.

Eighteen months ago, following a chance meeting with another veteran at a military vehicle show, he was encouraged to contact Help for Heroes.

Supported by his sister, he made the call and now says it was one of the best things he ever did.

After finally admitting there was a problem, he received treatment and has finally managed to turn his life around.

“Since then, I have just come along from strength to strength,” he said.

Paul received psychological support from staff at the Help for Heroes Recovery Centre in Catterick, North Yorkshire.

He has finally been able to move out of his sister’s home into his own flat in Penrith, and is now seizing every opportunity that comes his way.

This has ranged from entering a baking competition hosted by former Great British Bake Off contestant Sandy Docherty to taking part in a Highland Games, where he met Prince Charles.

He has also walked the Coast to Coast with a group of fellow wounded veterans and is in training to take part in his first weightlifting competition.

Paul has also returned to his lifelong hobby of model-making, and realised how much it helps his wellbeing. In a bid to share this with others, he has set up a monthly modelling club at the Help for Heroes Recovery Centre.

He explained: “My grandfather was really into aeroplanes and I suppose I got the bug from there. It’s something that I love and it gets me out of bad thoughts and into really good, positive ones.

“I have always wanted to help others and I realised that, if I could do that through modelling, it would be fantastic. Since then, a lot of people have said that making models does help them because when they are concentrating on that, they are not thinking about anything else.”

The new survey, commissioned by Help for Heroes, has revealed that Paul’s situation is not unique, with many other veterans reluctant to seek help.

It found that reveals that the average delay before someone asks for support is almost four years.

The most common reasons for this is that they don’t believe civilian services will understand or support them, while many also fear being treated differently by friends and family.

To mark Blue Monday, many iconic buildings across the UK - including the Tower of London - are lighting tonight to support veterans and tackle stigma associated with mental illness.

Karen Mead, head of psychological wellbeing at Help for Heroes, said Paul’s story was the reality for thousands of military personnel. “Veterans are not accessing mental health support when they need it and we believe this needs to change. Our campaign is asking the nation to call time on stigma and to let those who have served their country know it’s okay to ask for help,” she said.

The charity is also asking for donations to help fund its work to support veterans when they do finally ask for help.