The Healing Power of the Spoken Word: How Storytelling, Poetry, and Creative Expression Can Help UK Military Veterans Heal

For many UK military veterans, the return to civilian life after deployment can be as psychologically grueling as the combat they’ve faced. The mental scars of warfare, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), moral injury, survivor’s guilt, anxiety, and depression, can linger long after the battlefield falls silent. Added to this is the deep loneliness and social isolation that often accompanies a disconnection from the military community and difficulties integrating into civilian society. Traditional treatment methods like therapy, medication, and support groups are valuable, but they don't work for everyone. Increasingly, a powerful complement to these approaches is gaining ground: the spoken word. Whether through storytelling, poetry, creative writing, or lived experience narratives shared aloud in front of an audience, the spoken word offers a deeply human, emotionally resonant tool for healing. Trauma, especially combat trauma, is a complex and often invisible wound. PTSD, anxiety, depression, and emotional numbness are common responses to witnessing or participating in violence. For many veterans, especially men, expressing vulnerability is culturally discouraged, both in military settings and society at large. As a result, many carry their trauma in silence. This silence is compounded by the transition to civilian life. The camaraderie and structure of military service are replaced by uncertainty, loneliness, and the sense of being misunderstood. Veterans often report feeling alienated, invisible, or judged, experiences that can deepen their psychological wounds and contribute to self-isolation.Breaking this silence is critical and this is where the spoken word, a tool as old as humanity itself, comes into play. The spoken word is more than just speech. It’s expression with intention, emotion, and authenticity. Through poetry, storytelling, or sharing a lived experience, speaking aloud can give form to pain, create meaning out of chaos, and foster human connection. One of the central wounds of trauma is the shattering of narrative. Traumatic events often resist integration into a coherent story, leaving individuals stuck in cycles of intrusive memories, shame, or emotional disconnection. Storytelling helps veterans rebuild a sense of identity by reclaiming control over their experiences, so when veterans share their stories publicly, whether in a community centre, a spoken word event, or a veterans’ storytelling circle,t hey are not just recounting events. They are choosing what to emphasise, how to frame their journeys, and how to find meaning in their suffering. This process is empowering and helps participants feel seen and heard. It also fosters empathy in listeners, breaking down societal stereotypes of veterans as either broken or heroic. Poetry distills emotion into language and for veterans, writing and speaking poetry allows for the articulation of feelings that might otherwise remain buried; grief, anger, love, confusion, guilt. Through metaphor, rhythm, and imagery, poetry can externalise inner pain and transform it into something beautiful, powerful, and shareable. Public readings of poetry allow veterans to voice these emotions in safe, supportive spaces. The act of reading aloud validates their pain while inviting others into their emotional world. Importantly, poetry doesn’t require a linear narrative, which is particularly helpful for those whose trauma resists chronology or coherence. Poetry can provide a way to “speak the unspeakable,” and in doing so facilitate catharsis and clarity. Creative writing, short stories, memoirs and/or fiction can offer a more expansive canvas. It allows veterans to explore themes of identity, loss, resilience, and hope, sometimes through invented characters or imagined worlds. Writing fiction can provide emotional distance, helping veterans approach painful memories obliquely while still processing them. Spoken word performances of this writing give voice to these creations. Sharing these pieces in front of an audience, whether live or virtual, transforms private reflection into communal experience. It breaks isolation by reminding veterans they are not alone in their struggles. Equally important as speaking is being heard. The presence of an attentive, empathetic audience transforms spoken word performance into a reciprocal act. Performing can be simultaneously terrifying and liberating, yet the act of being witnessed, truly seen and heard,can restore a sense of human connection and dignity. Similarly, audience members also undergo transformation. They come to see veterans not as statistics or stereotypes but as fully human individuals. This mutual recognition fosters a sense of belonging, validation, and community. One of the most insidious effects of trauma is disconnection. Veterans may lose contact with military friends, feel misunderstood by civilians, or withdraw due to shame or numbness. Spoken word events create community through shared vulnerability and artistic expression. Peer-led initiatives, especially those built by veterans for veterans, are especially effective. They offer a safe space where participants understand the language, humour and pain of military life. These communities are often more accessible than formal therapy and can serve as stepping stones toward deeper healing. Veterans are not a homogenous group so not all veterans have the same experience. Women, LGBTQ+ and BAME veterans may experience compounded isolation. Spoken word projects offer a uniquely inclusive medium where diverse voices can be amplified and validated. Intersectional mutual support groups help individuals claim space, assert their humanity, and challenge dominant narratives. While spoken word projects offer immense promise, they also carry risks. Reliving trauma aloud can trigger both speakers and audience members alike, if not done in a supportive environment. Facilitation of such projects by trained professionals, access to mental health resources, and consent-based storytelling are crucial elements of any trauma informed spoken word projects. Moreover, not every veteran will be ready or willing to speak, alternatives like writing for private reflection, peer-to-peer conversations, or visual arts may be more appropriate for some. The power of the spoken word lies not just in the telling, but in the transformation it enables, for the speaker, the listener, and the wider community. For UK military veterans grappling with the aftermath of war, speaking aloud through poetry, storytelling, and creative writing can be a profoundly healing act, simply because it restores agency, affirms humanity, and builds bridges where there were once walls. In a world where veterans too often suffer in silence, the stage can become a place of truth, courage, and connection.

Tony Wright CEO Forward Assist