Caught in a trap
P.E.I. man says more awareness needed for mental health issues oil workers face upon returning home
John Holmes moved to Alberta during “the boom times” in 2011 with $100 bucks and a hockey bag.
The 35-year-old P.E.I. man, like many others his age, spent several years working in western Canada’s oil industry.
It was a lifestyle that paid six figures a year, while oil companies would also put up employees in hotels, pay for flights home and offer plenty of additional perks to the job like free clothing and complimentary gourmet meals. Then it all came crashing down. “Some people get into the trap. They get into the lifestyle, the ‘golden handcuffs’ as I like to call it.
“They can’t afford to quit, or if they’re laid off, they’re screwed. It can break up families, cause repossessions, losing a house, substance abuse, mental health,” said Holmes.
“The problem is kind of ignored… And it doesn’t have to be this way for a lot of men.” Holmes wants to raise awareness on the often-overlooked effects that stay with workers long after they return home from the oil patch.
He has seen individuals go through the difficulties adjusting from years of camp life to being unemployed, on stress leave or disabled.
In fact, Holmes considers himself a textbook example of the difficulties associated with transitioning from the oil industry back to his “regular” life. After returning home, Holmes experienced panic attacks and restless sleep. The vicious cycle culminated with Holmes being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by his family doctor.
“Coming home and having to live what everybody else considered a normal life. (People don’t realize) how difficult it can be for someone who lived in camps,” said Holmes, who had a similar beginning to many Islanders who moved out west for work.
Holmes, who grew up in Charlottetown and now lives in Murray Harbour, bounced around through different locations in Western Canada and made good money until his company’s division closed down in 2016 and he returned to P.E.I.
While he later made a return to Western Canada, it didn’t last long before Holmes was placed on stress leave.
During that period, he noticed how much the industry and its treatment of employees had changed in the short amount of time. “We had so little respect from these oil companies,” said Holmes, adding that cutting corners and streamlining operations for more profit have also resulted in ignored regulations, workplace injuries or death and mental health struggles.
“They spell ‘safety’ with a dollar sign.”
Through it all, Holmes and others were essentially discouraged from speaking up on the conditions, despite the federal right to refuse dangerous work, due to the rough nature of the industry.
“The mentality I was exposed to was that having emotions was a sign of weakness. There’s no real help to men who are dealing with mental health, the stigma and problems attached with it,” he said, adding that many men don’t know where to find help. “You kind of internalize and compartmentalize it… Over the years, everything kind of builds up.”
Holmes said that culture, as well as other factors such as being away from family for long periods of time, make returning home a difficult adjustment.
The financial windfall is another attributing factor. While Holmes said he was thankful for what he made in the industry, and enjoyed it for the first several years, he added that many young men who go out West to work have little experience in managing their money.
“The oil patch cash goes fast,” said Holmes. “There’s no understanding or training for young men for when they start making that money real quick.” Those with PTSD can exhibit a variety of symptoms, and it is not limited to certain occupations or activities.
While there are some risk factors, such as prior mental health issues, addiction or previous trauma, individuals can develop PTSD through a traumatic experience without having any factors.
Amanda Brazil, director of programs and policy with the P.E.I. division of the Canadian Mental Health Association, said it’s important not to make assumptions on what could be traumatic for another individual.
It could be a one-time event or it could be a repeated trauma. It can also be experienced firsthand or witnessed.
“One of the things we say is, like beauty, trauma is in the eye of the beholder. So, what I may find traumatic, you will not. So, it’s difficult to say what you can or can’t get it from,” said Brazil, adding that individuals can have a reaction to any event if they thought they were at risk.
Brazil said anybody struggling with their mental health should reach out to someone, whether it’s a family member, doctor or community mental health walkin clinic.
“The earlier there is intervention, the better. That’s the same with physical health, we would recommend if people recognized symptoms in themselves to reach out any way they can. The earlier the better,” she said.
After experiencing his own struggle, Holmes is now optimistic about his future again.
He has found support through mental health professionals in P.E.I., and is now looking towards a new career in plumbing aided through a Skills P.E.I. program, Holmes also wants to spread the word to others that there is still hope for those left struggling after leaving the oil patch.
“It’s not the end of the world, there is the possibility of re-training for people looking for career changes and there shouldn’t be a stigma against mental health and addictions issues some men get from dealing with the downturn,” he said. “You realize you’re not hopeless.”