Military service creates specific patterns of trauma, addiction, and mental health crisis that standard residential programmes are not always equipped to treat. We work with veterans from the US, Australia, the UK, and New Zealand - and we understand the difference between serving and civilian life.
Addiction among veterans is rarely just about the substance. It is almost always rooted in what happened during and after service - the trauma of combat or operational duty, the culture of stoicism and self-reliance that makes asking for help feel like weakness, the abrupt loss of purpose and structure that comes with leaving the military, and the difficulty of re-entering a civilian world that does not understand what service involved.
Standard residential programmes treat the addiction. Specialist veterans treatment treats the person - the whole context of who they are, what they experienced, and why they are using. This means EMDR and prolonged exposure for PTSD, moral injury work, peer support from others with operational backgrounds, and clinical teams that do not require explanation of things civilians have never experienced.
Sri Lanka offers something that domestic veterans services - whether VA facilities, DVA-funded clinics, or NHS veteran units - often cannot: immediate admission, genuine privacy, a therapeutic environment with no military institutional culture, and internationally trained clinical teams delivering evidence-based trauma and addiction treatment at a fraction of the cost of equivalent private provision in the US, Australia, or the UK.
We work with veterans from all backgrounds. We can advise on funding options specific to your country of service, help you navigate the pre-authorisation process where applicable, and ensure you are matched to the right clinical programme for your specific presentation.
Funding eligibility, application processes, and what is and is not covered varies significantly by country. Select your country of service for specific guidance.
The VA Foreign Medical Program can reimburse treatment overseas for service-connected conditions including PTSD and substance use disorder. We explain eligibility, registration, and how to submit a claim.
Read the US veterans guide → 🇦🇺 DVA Non-Liability Health CareAustralian DVA's Non-Liability Health Care allows eligible veterans to access funded mental health and addiction treatment without needing to establish service connection. Gold and White card holders have additional options.
Read the Australian veterans guide → 🇬🇧 Op COURAGE + Charity FundingNHS provision through Op COURAGE is improving but remains limited in access to residential addiction treatment. We cover the charity and self-funded routes available to UK veterans seeking treatment abroad.
Read the UK veterans guide → 🇳🇿 Veterans' Affairs New ZealandVeterans' Affairs New Zealand funds treatment for conditions arising from qualifying service. We explain VANZ eligibility, the treatment authority process, and how New Zealand veterans can access treatment in Sri Lanka.
Read the NZ veterans guide → 🇨🇦 Veterans Affairs CanadaVeterans Affairs Canada funds a range of mental health and rehabilitation services. We cover the Rehabilitation Services and Vocational Assistance Program and how Canadian veterans can access overseas treatment.
Read the Canadian veterans guide → 🎖️ Clinical - All NationalitiesPTSD and substance use disorder co-occur in a significant proportion of veterans. Standard rehab without integrated trauma treatment rarely holds. We explain the clinical approach that works.
Read the PTSD and addiction guide →Distance from home is not just logistically convenient. For veterans, it is often clinically necessary.
VA and DVA facilities can carry the weight of military institutional culture - hierarchy, bureaucracy, the feeling of still being inside the system. Sri Lanka offers a clean break: civilian, private, and completely removed from that environment.
Many veterans are concerned about how a formal mental health or addiction diagnosis will affect their security clearance, employment, or standing within veteran communities. Treatment in Sri Lanka is private, confidential, and at a complete geographic remove from those concerns.
VA waiting lists for residential mental health care can run to months. DVA can take time to process treatment authority requests. We can arrange admission within 5 to 10 days of initial enquiry for self-funded and pre-authorised cases.
The clinical teams we work with have experience treating complex trauma, PTSD, and co-occurring addiction. Treatment includes EMDR, prolonged exposure, trauma-focused CBT, and grief and loss work appropriate to the experiences of military service.
A 28-day private residential programme in the US, Australia, or UK costs between $15,000 and $45,000 USD. Sri Lanka starts from $9,900 USD per month - enabling longer stays and more intensive treatment at a fraction of the cost.
Sri Lanka's climate, natural environment, and pace of life provide a genuinely restorative setting. Many veterans describe the physical distance from the triggers, people, and patterns of home life as one of the most important factors in their recovery.
We handle the process around you. From the initial conversation through to arrival at the clinic, we manage the logistics so you can focus on the decision to get well.
We start with a phone or WhatsApp conversation to understand your situation, your history of service, and what you are dealing with clinically. There is no obligation and everything is confidential.
We advise on what funding may be available to you based on your country of service and your discharge status. We then identify the right clinical programme for your presentation - not all programmes are equipped for veterans with complex trauma.
For VA and DVA cases, we assist with the pre-authorisation process and correspondence with your funding body. For self-funded cases, we move directly to clinical assessment and bed allocation.
We assist with flights, transfers, and arrival. You are met at Colombo airport and accompanied to the facility. The first days of your programme include a comprehensive clinical assessment and individualised treatment planning.
Free advice for veterans and their families.
No pressure. No obligation. We respond within a few hours.