Canada tour 48 towns and cities raising awareness about PTSD

Cross-Canada tour in 48 towns and cities aimed at raising awareness about PTSD
THE CANADIAN PRESS
BY SUE BAILEY
APRIL 27, 2014

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Cpl. Jamie MacWhirter has been through the nightmares and angry outbursts of post-traumatic stress disorder, and he has a message for those struggling alone.

“If you believe you have a problem, if your wife or spouse has said anything to you, it doesn’t hurt to go and talk to somebody.”

MacWhirter chronicled his 2006 deployment in Kandahar and subsequent troubles with PTSD in his memoir, “A Soldier’s Tale: A Newfoundland Soldier in Afghanistan.”

He’s now working on another book about his long journey back to better mental health.

On May 5, MacWhirter will speak in St. John’s to help launch a cross-Canada tour aimed at raising awareness about how soldiers, emergency workers, police, correctional officers and others are affected by PTSD.

The Heroes Are Human tour organized by the Tema Conter Memorial Trust in Toronto will include stops in 48 cities and towns. Two-hour community meetings will be free of charge for anyone wanting to learn more about how to cope with a still highly stigmatized condition.

MacWhirter said it has been especially hard to learn of recent suicides involving soldiers and veterans of the Afghanistan mission.

“People are afraid to come forward and admit that they need help,” he said in an interview. “Most soldiers, they’re taught to hide the pain. They’re taught to soldier on and continue work.

“It’s hard to change your thought pattern and say, ‘I need help.’”
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PTSD I Grieve from Kathleen "Costos" DiCesare on Vimeo.