26 November 2025
A new pilot supporting women veterans experiencing substance use related to previous trauma has been launched today by national charity WithYou.
With funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust’s Fulfilling Futures programme, the Rebuild Project will provide specialist trauma-focused psychological therapy, and empower women veterans to make their own treatment and recovery choices. RAF veteran and previous WithYou client Laura Tapp says, “Recovery didn’t just save my life; it gave me a new one.”
Many women veterans have experienced gender-based violence, discrimination or trauma which has greatly impacted their ability to trust. Research from 2021 found that 49.9% of female veterans were drinking alcohol at harmful levels. Those who have experienced trauma are more likely to use alcohol and drugs.
For members of the armed forces community and their families, the period around Remembrance Day and Christmas can be an incredibly difficult time - driven by loneliness, grief reminders, and traumatic memories resurfacing. For many, that pain is quietly carried with the mask of drugs or alcohol.
Multiple UK veterans’ charities and NHS services report spikes in demand around Remembrance and through Christmas, and that need is rising year by year. Between 2020 and 2024 WithYou has seen a 68% increase in referrals and contact during November and December.
Laura Tapp, a Royal Air Force veteran and previous client of WithYou, said:
“The military taught me discipline and resilience, but it also normalised heavy drinking. Nights in the bar were part of the culture, and for me, alcohol became more than just a social lubricant; it became a way of coping, of quieting the restlessness in my mind.
“I was once the woman who walked into treatment believing my life was over. Now, I am the woman who grabs every opportunity to live. Recovery didn’t just save my life; it gave me a new one. And to any veteran or woman who feels isolated, hopeless, or beyond help, I want to say this: the support is out there. You are not alone. If I can find my way back, so can you.”
Sarah Jones, director of psychology and psychological therapies, said:
“We know that veterans who identify as women are sadly more likely to struggle with drugs and alcohol. The Rebuild Project is tailored to the unique needs of women veterans, recognising the intersections of military culture, gender-based experiences, and the stigma that surrounds both trauma and substance use within veteran communities.
“Our veterans are heroes who deserve to recover and thrive. I’m very grateful to the Armed Forces Covenant Fund for supporting us to get them the help and treatment they need.”
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust's CEO, Anna Wright, said:
"For some veterans adjusting to civilian life can feel disorienting and stripped of structure, identity and purpose.
“Drugs or alcohol can be seen as a way to cope with physical and psychological trauma linked to military service, and that's where our Fulfilling Futures funding programme aims to help. We're so pleased to be funding projects such as this one delivered by WithYou, supporting women with the specialist help they need to move forward with their lives."
Any women veterans who are clients of WithYou can be referred to the pilot. WithYou provides a tailored treatment and support programme for members of the armed forces community, and their families. We focus on the strengths of military identity and use this to enhance recovery. Our programme is the first by a drug and alcohol provider to receive the Gold Award from the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme.
