It's compulsory. It's part of the process."
He recalled unexpected emotional breakdowns during train journeys and noted that discussing his son has become easier, though conversations with strangers remain awkward.
"When someone says, 'How many children did you have?' I normally say three sons.
And then if they ask what they're all doing now, then you have to come clean and say one passed away.
And then that conversation stops."
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Christopher's Battle with PTSD
Christopher experienced severe flashbacks, auditory hallucinations, and reliance on alcohol and drugs several years after returning from Iraq.
His behavior changes eventually required him to move back in with his parents.
"It was probably about two or three years afterwards that it manifested itself," Butcher said. "He was drinking and he kept getting a lot more flashbacks.
He had these voices in his head."
The family often adapted their daily schedules, such as returning early from dog walks when Christopher experienced sudden anxiety.
Butcher stated they felt helpless during multiple suicide attempts and faced a lack of specialized military PTSD training within the NHS.
"I don't put any blame on them. What you want is a military unit where you can put PTSD sufferers in," he said.
"At the start there was a lot of anger because he was let down. But I don't harbour any grudges now towards the MOD."
Butcher shared lighter memories, including bottle-feeding Christopher as a baby in the stadium stands during the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
