Mindset Soldier Mental Health Story | From Silence to Strength.
Some men come into this movement like they’ve always been here.
David Smith known to most as Mindset Soldier is one of them. He’s not just our second ambassador. He’s proof that surviving hell doesn’t make you soft. It makes you sharp. And when you’ve seen the bottom, you either stay there or build something from it.
He built Mindset Soldier — and now he’s bringing that fire to Say It Lad.
Warzone to Waking Up Alone:
David served in the British Army — structure, discipline, adrenaline, purpose. It shaped him. But it also broke parts of him that no uniform could hold together. When the tour ends and the kit’s packed away, no one trains you for the silence that follows.
He left with PTSD and a head full of noise. No mission. No routine. No one checking in. Just real life loud, empty, and waiting to swallow you if you pause too long. He’s spoken openly about suicide attempts. About not wanting to wake up. Not as a sob story as a warning.
Because the strongest-looking lads
What followed wasn’t some overnight fix. It was years of slow, silent rebuilding. Training, not for looks for survival. Writing, to get the pain out of his head and onto paper. Talking, to finally kill the shame.
David didn’t brand himself Mindset Soldier to sell courses. He built it because he needed it and then realised other lads did too. Now he runs coaching sessions, speaks publicly, and continues to pull people back from the same mental cliff he nearly fell off.
Why He’s With Say It Lad:
Because he knows what it’s like to have no one to talk to. And he knows what it’s like to say the thing out loud and feel the weight shift. “Say It Lad isn’t noise. It’s not awareness week. It’s raw, unfiltered voices. It’s the stuff I wish I’d heard when I was stuck in my own head. ”That’s what made David say yes. Not because he needed another platform but because he knows the power of one message from the right person at the right time. He’s not here to be a poster boy. He’s here because he believes in the movement. In anonymous voice notes. In brutal honesty. In not waiting until it’s too late to speak.
You’ll Be Seeing (and Hearing) More from Him. His story will live with no edits, no sugar-coating. His voicenote will be added to The Wall a moment of truth that could shift someone else’s. And every now and then, you’ll see him rep Say It Lad. Not because he’s told to but because he means it.
Final Word:
This movement isn’t built by brands. It’s built by lads like David, lads who’ve been to the edge and come back with something to say.
Welcome to SAY IT LAD, Mindset Soldier.