It’s estimated up to 30% of soldiers are traumatized by active combat. Symptoms range from nightmares and insomnia to concentration difficulties and substance abuse. Without help, these veterans are almost twice as likely to commit suicide as their civilian counterparts.

"In Afghanistan, Bosnia, Cyprus, Korea, Europe and dozens of other locations around the globe, Canadian Forces members have proven time and again they are prepared to march into hell to protect and promote Canadian values, chief of which, arguably, is peace. It is a cruel irony that when some return home, their military experiences have robbed them of that very thing. It takes hardening of the soul to do their job in places where human life is valued cheaply, where equality before the law, due process—even peace—are lofty concepts that have little to do with the lives of people struggling to survive.

Those who have served in violent places do not slip easily back into Canadian society; they often experience a ‘disconnect’ when they return. For some it is a fleeting experience dispelled by the embrace of family and community. For others, that disconnection from normalcy is a torment that can last forever. “These after-effects are more difficult to anticipate than physical injuries because they are less visible, reluctantly reported by those who suffer from them, and because the symptoms may only appear years after the traumatic event,” says a 2011 Library of Parliament background paper on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the mental health of military personnel and veterans. “[T]here are no certainties, except for the distress of those affected."

From the article : Operational Stress Injuries, Part 1: The War Within November 21, 2012 by Sharon Adams.

Together We Stand
For 3 CAV members living in Alberta or Saskatchewan, Jeremy and his team at JC Counselling in Medicine Hat can help you; face to face, via computer or phone. If you are not in the Medicine Hat area, they can help you find someone to assist you. Check out the brochure for "Together We Stand" for more information.

PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

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