Former soldiers struggle to reintegrate to their communities when they are discharged from the military, a report has found.
Veterans often need help to cope with debt, unemployment and low income, according to the study by the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB).
While such issues are not unique to ex-army personnel, Keith Dryburgh from CAB said that people from the armed forces find it "very hard" to ask for help.
"It goes against their nature and their training. So we are concerned that there may be tens of thousands of people who need our support but haven't asked for it. We hope this report today will encourage them to come forward and talk to us," Mr Dryburgh said.
One army veteran of 16 years' service who was discharged in 1993 said in the report: "If you're a single soldier, you're living in the barracks and your food is prepared for you. Your meals are there at the times stated.
"Everything is taken at source from your wages so you don't have to bother about the responsibility of paying bills. It's the same when you're a married soldier. You forget how to do things for yourself.
"I think that's probably one of the things where you're leaving that (the armed forces) fall down on. They don't prepare you for life where you've got to look after yourself."
The report, entitled Civvy Street - the New Front Line, describes two years of work by CAB which also set up the Armed Services Advice Project (Asap) to offer free, confidential and independent advice to current and former members of the armed forces in Scotland and their families.
It is funded by military charities including Poppyscotland whose chief executive Ian McGregor said: "A significant minority of veterans face multiple and complex issues after leaving the armed forces. We welcome the publication of this report, which both recognises the advice needs of veterans and highlights how they are being addressed, through the tremendous progress of Asap.
"However, we recognise that more needs to be done in order to reach the most vulnerable members of the armed forces community in Scotland."
CAB said 1769 clients with over 6000 issues have used Asap since it started in July 2010, of which 69% were from the Army, 16% from the RAF and 11% from the Royal Navy. Around 10% of clients were still serving while seeking CAB advice.
Advice on benefits was sought by 38% of veteran clients, the most popular topic, with 24% seeking help on debt and 7% each on housing and employment.
Another army veteran of 10 years service, who was discharged in 1994, said: "I came out the Army with a mental illness that I didn't know I had. I knew that there was something wrong with me because of the way that I was acting.
"I was having nightmares, I was self-harming. I was doing a lot of stuff. I was OD-ing, took to drugs and stuff like that. I knew there was something wrong with me but at that time, whereas now with guys coming back from Afghanistan and all that there's all that help there, but there was nothing there then. Nothing."
SNP MSP Christina McKelvie will be introducing a debate in the Scottish Parliament to discuss the work of the CAB project.
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