Mounties’ video shines light on PTSD
Officers share stories in effort to help others
Staring into the video camera, they each take turns sharing their darkest secrets.
One says “life didn’t matter” to her anymore. Another says he was constantly spooked by loud noises. Yet another binged on alcohol. In an effort to raise awareness of the ravages of post- traumatic stress disorder and to build a support network, nine current and former RCMP members have gone public with their stories in a 13- minute video that is part confessional, part public- service announcement.
The video was done without the RCMP’s knowledge. It was spearheaded by the wife of a B. C. Mountie who started a campaign a few years ago to eradicate PTSD’s stigma.
“I wanted to do something that would reach people across the country no matter where they were, no matter what stage of their career they were in, and speak to them about PTSD and make it human,” said Lori Wilson, who founded the online group Families of the RCMP for PTSD Awareness after her husband’s struggles with PTSD.
“When you’re off- duty sick, you’re isolated from your detachment and your fellow members. I believe that slows healing not to have that connection. . . . Just knowing that you’re not the only person going through this is huge relief.”
In recent years, growing attention has been given to the spate of suicides among first responders. One of the most high- profile cases involved Ron Francis, a New Brunswick corporal who accused the RCMP of not doing enough to address PTSD and who was seen in public smoking medical marijuana while in uniform. He took his life last October.
When Edmonton paramedic Greg Turner took his life earlier this year, his wife, Bridget, wrote on Facebook: “I know in my heart that this was not a choice. He did not choose death over us. Depression made that choice for him and it was a battle he was too sick to fight. It is a disease that kills without the right treatment, just like cancer. . . . I pray that our experience will keep the conversation going about the help you guys need to stay healthy.”
There have been 30 suicides this year among first responders in Canada, according to the non- profit Tema Conter Memorial Trust.
The Mounties have tried to elevate PTSD’s profile. Last year, they released a video from Peter Neily, a constable who shared the story of how he turned to alcohol following the fatal shooting of an armed suspect.
But Wilson said more was needed — something that would show the different ways PTSD can manifest itself, the triggers, and the range of people it can afflict.
Her video, dedicated to the memory of Cpl. Ken Barker, a retired dog handler in Manitoba who committed suicide in 2014, features current and retired members, as well as civilian dispatchers, at various stages of recovery.
They include Const. Annabelle Dionne, an eight- year veteran, who says her PTSD was triggered by the murder of a colleague.
“Many of my co- workers were affected, but we were just not talking about it. I think the isolation that followed helped my PTSD to grow,” she said. “Basically, I felt my life didn’t matter anymore. I felt as if I was dying inside.”
She finally got help after relocating to a larger city and getting treatment at a federally funded operational stress injury ( OSI) clinic.
Retired Cpl. Lloyd Brownell said numerous incidents over his 28- year career — “I dealt with death and destruction all the time” — left him feeling angry and anxious.
“I knew I had PTSD when, one night, I had come home from a critical incident and I told my wife in tears that I could not do this anymore. … Together we sought treatment.”
Const. Paul Glennie said repeated exposure to stress and trauma caused to him to constantly feel “on guard.”
“I’d be scared when I shouldn’t be scared, loud noises would spook me,” he said. “It took a lot of energy to make that phone call to reach out for help.”
After being informed of the video, Assistant Commissioner Gilles Moreau said Monday it will be made available on the force’s website for all employees to see.
“We know that we can always do more and we continue to increase the visibility of the issue,” he said via email.
Moreau said employees and their spouses have round- the- clock access to a short- term counselling and referral service provided by Health Canada.
The RCMP also has a peer- topeer program to guide employees on where to find help, as well as occupational health offices across the country.
Members can also receive treatment at a Veterans Affairs Canada or Canadian Forces operational stress injury clinic.
Moreau said the force is also looking at preventive measures and will launch a national training program this fall called Road to Mental Readiness that was adapted from the Department of National Defence.