Why Peace Was Harder to Survive Than War | Liz McConaghy | #111 - The Lonely Chapter | Lyssna här

War gave Liz purpose. Peace nearly took her life.

Liz McConaghy spent 17 years flying on the RAF Chinook Fleet, completing deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and serving on the Medical Emergency Response Team. Surrounded by people, purpose and teamwork, she learned to function in some of the most dangerous environments imaginable.

But the chapter that nearly ended her life began after she left.

Following a medical discharge from the RAF, the loss of her military identity, the breakdown of her marriage, the death of a close friend and the isolation of lockdown, Liz began experiencing symptoms of PTSD without recognising what was happening.

In this deeply honest conversation, Liz shares the journey from war zones to loneliness, depression and a suicide attempt, and the long, non-linear process of finding purpose, identity and hope again.

We explore why unprocessed trauma can return years later, how grief can follow the loss of a career or relationship, why people in the military and emergency services learn to normalise danger, and what happens when the uniform that defined your life is suddenly taken away.

Liz also shares practical ways to support someone who is struggling: asking twice, giving your mental health a number out of ten, opening up about your own vulnerability, having difficult conversations while walking side by side and seeking help before reaching crisis point.

This is a conversation about PTSD, military life, loneliness, identity, suicide prevention, mental health recovery, grief, purpose and learning to believe that the light can come back on.

In this episode:

→ Why peace became harder for Liz to survive than war

→ Life as the longest-serving female RAF Chinook crewman

→ Iraq, Afghanistan and the Medical Emergency Response Team

→ The hidden grief of losing a career, relationship and identity

→ How PTSD appeared years after leaving the military

→ The phone call Liz does not remember making that saved her life

→ Why recovery is rarely a straight line

→ How to help someone open up without forcing them

→ Why asking “How are you?” twice can make a difference

→ Finding an identity beyond the uniform

→ Why nobody needs to reach rock bottom before deserving help