Pilon shares emotional mental health message
Swift Current Fire Chief Denis Pilon gave some heart wrenching insight into the overwhelming emotions and visions which stay with emergency services personnel for years after traumatic incidents.
Pilon was the guest speaker at the 14th annual CMHA Mayor’s Luncheon on May 2. The event was a kick off event for Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Week which is observed from May 7 to 13.
His presentation “A Vision Was Planted In My Brain” was the first time he has publicly talked about the often overwhelming things he has experienced.
“I’ve talked to my family about it. They know what I’ve been through. My wife and my kids have seen me walk away from them and spend hours away,” Pilon admitted.
He said the presentation was an important opportunity to share with the public the importance of recognizing mental health and the impact of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Occupational Stress Injury (OSI). Since mid 2014, a total of 70 military members and 176 first responders have taken their own lives after being unable to cope with their mental health injuries.
“It’s the stuff that we’ve seen. Some of those car scenes, the bodies the dismemberments and stuff like that that we’ve seen. You can’t erase the vision.”
“What does happen is that you just can’t get that vision out of your mind and it haunts you and haunts you and haunts you until finally you can’t take it anymore. Without proper help that’s why we get the 246 people that have committed suicide in the past five years.”
Pilon says he has been fortunate to have been able to cope with the traumatic experiences he has endured over the years.
“I’ve coped with it by addressing the individual instances and saying ‘I didn’t cause this. I’m here to clean it up.’ And when I’m done with it I put it in the back of my mind and I lock it away. But I don’t forget it. It’s still there.”
“There are little triggers that will bring it back. Like I said the crosses on the side of the road, there are some places I just can’t drive without getting that bad flashback.”
“I tend to lock it away. And I’ve learned to do that over the years. But some people aren’t that lucky. Some people don’t get the help and need help, and they end up having problems for a long time.”
He also wanted the public to know that the emergency responders who help make the community a safer place do carry emotional scars from their work.
Chief Pilon was wearing a Humboldt Strong ribbon during the presentation as a tribute to the first responders who went to the scene of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash on April 6.
“This is an opportunity to spread this out and let people know exactly what we’re going through as first responders.”
Jacqui Williams, Executive Director of the Canadian Mental Health Association Swift Current Branch, said Pilon’s impactful presentation will be helpful in sharing how common mental health issues are in society today.
She stressed the importance of talking about mental health concerns. “I would just say start talking.”
“Start talking to your best friend, to your sister, to your wife, to your mother, to your husband, to your boyfriend. And keep talking. Talk until it doesn’t bother you any more. And if that means you talk until you’re in a psychiatrist’s office, talk until you are in a psychiatrist’s office. But talk.”
“Sharing your problems to help you find a way to cope, and find a way to put in those natural supports, so that if your mental health is really unwell, that someone will come and help you and help you find the supports you need. So just talk until it either doesn’t matter to your anymore, or until you’ve found some sort of solution that helps you live healthy and well.”
The theme of the 2018 Mental Health Week on May 6 to 12 is Get Loud, with people being encouraged to sharing their own experiences with mental health struggles.