Caught in a trap
More awareness needed about oil workers with mental-health issues
John Holmes moved to Alberta during “the boom times” in 2011 with $100 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, such as 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 about the often-overlooked effects that stay with workers long after they return home from the oilpatch.
He has seen individuals endure difficulties adjusting from years of camp life to being unemployed, on stress leave or disabled.
In fact, Holmes considers himself a textbook example.
After returning home, Holmes experienced panic attacks and restless sleep. The vicious cycle culminated with Holmes being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“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,” he said.
Holmes, who grew up in Charlottetown and now lives in Murray Harbour, bounced around different locations in Western Canada and made good money until his company’s division closed in 2016 and he returned to P.E.I.
While he later returned to Western Canada, it wasn’t long until Holmes was placed on stress leave.
During that period, he noticed how much the industry and its treatment of employees had changed in a 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 about 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.
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 oilpatch 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.
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 about what could be traumatic for another individual.
It could be a one-time event or repeated trauma. It can also be experienced first-hand or witnessed.
Brazil said anybody struggling with their mental health should talk to someone.
“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,” she said.
After experiencing his own struggle, Holmes is again optimistic about his future.
He has found support through mental-health professionals in P.E.I., and is looking toward 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 oilpatch.
“It’s not the end of the world. There is the possibility of retraining
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.”