Putting mental health first
Nurse begins PTSD recovery journey at Landing Strong non-profit program
For the past year, many health-care workers, veterans and front-line heroes have been struggling to find their way forward.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of referrals has grown exponentially for Landing Strong, a non-profit organization in Windsor dedicated to promoting resilience and assisting recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and operational stress injuries.
Front-line workers are increasingly reaching out, acknowledging the toll of this challenging work on their personal health and family lives. Attendance nearly doubled in a single year, from 242 attendees recorded in 2019 to 472 in 2020.
There are many reasons for the increase in demand and Leah F. understands why. Landing Strong was there to help when Leah’s life took a devastating turn after her 18-year-old daughter, Katelynne, graduated high school and suddenly became unwell.
Katelynne was rushed to emergency but passed away soon after due to a blood clot that travelled to her brain.
“It devastated our family. It changed everything. Katelynne’s two brothers were 14 and 16 at the time. It was such an unnatural thing,” says Leah.
It took Leah almost two years to get back on her feet. As a mental health and addictions nurse, she was used to diagnosing others but never herself. She experienced a couple bouts of difficulty around Katelynne’s birthday and on the date she lovingly refers to as Katelynne’s heaven day.
Eventually, the hospital environment became too much.
“A lot changed while I was away from work. I started to experience anxiety with physical manifestations. I wasn’t sleeping and I was struggling,” she says.
That is when Leah started working with Landing
Strong. The non-profit organization is funded by groups including the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia and offers intensive treatment and weekly support groups.
“I learned how to recognize my emotions and de-escalate. There’s no judgment and no advice. Everyone holds space for everyone else. I got so much out of it and it even opened up conversations with my family as well,” she says.
Leah says Landing Strong is teaching her to be gentler with herself and has made her much more empathetic, as it has shown her that everyone has their own difficult path.
“I look forward to the next meeting all week. And not just the good stuff, but the crappy stuff too. When you live with PTSD, you tend to feel very alone. You suffer in silence,” she says.
Leah recognizes her healing will take time but feels Landing Strong is moving her in the right direction. Her memories of Katelynne also provide her comfort.
“I know many parents say it, but Katelynne truly lit up a room. She promoted mental health and inclusion at her school and worked as a camp counsellor at a day camp in the summer. She loved children and they really loved her,” she says.
You can help first responders like Leah stay on the path to recovery. Donate today to support the ground-breaking intensive treatment program at Landing Strong at mentalhealthns.ca/landing-strong.