A teenage daughter of military veterans has described the trauma of growing up with parents who struggled daily with PTSD, leaving her and siblings confused and scared for much of their childhood.
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The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for privacy reasons, gave evidence on Wednesday to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
She said the lack of support for her family was appalling and brought devastating consequences.
The girl said she and her three siblings grew up feeling "scared and uncomfortable" in their own home.
It was only after observing other families she realised her parents' strict, military approach was abnormal and shaped by attempts to manage their crippling PTSD.
The girl said her mother, a former navy lieutenant commander, "always had pre-made meals in the freezer in case she were to die" and deliberately avoided socialising with other parents at school pick-ups.
Shopping trips were also an ordeal, with her mother often becoming so stressed and overwhelmed she would force her children to communicate in hand signals.
The witness said one of her first memories was when she was three years old and woke to her mother having a night terror in the bed they were sharing.
"This was because when serving in East Timor in '99 she saw dead bodies decaying in the streets," the girl told the inquiry.
"There is no doubt that I love my mum, but what she went through has changed her forever."
The teenager sat next to her mother throughout her testimony.
She said her father, a former army lieutenant colonel, was her age when he joined the army.
It had given him a distorted view of the world to the point where he didn't know how to talk to civilians.
The girl said most family holidays had to take place within driving distance of the nearest military base, where her father would spend most of his time.
She said her parents had sacrificed their lives serving their country yet support systems continued to fail them.
In seeking help, they were further traumatised and humiliated.
"Recently I watched my mum go through the process of doing a Department of Veterans' Affairs claim," the girl said.
"This process brought back so many horrific memories that forced her to relive the worst moments of her life.
"It is fair to say that the support provided by (the department) is inadequate and honestly appalling."
More needed to be done for children growing up with parents in the military, she added.
"The most pivotal memories of my childhood are those surrounding my parents' PTSD.
"That made me confused and scared as a child. That's not how it should be."
The inquiry is conducting its final day of hearings in Hobart on Wednesday before the commission's interim report is released on Thursday.
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Australian Associated Press
