This Christmas had me dealing with my own problems, but trying to help others. A call from my Mom scared me. A young family had moved in to her community and she befriended the young mother of three small children. The young woman's husband is a soldier that has been recently released from the military with P.T.S.D. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). This move brought the family closer to the soldier's family and the feeling was, they would help. But people with mental health issues can appear pretty normal, so his family didn't think his problems were as bad as they were made out to be. As a result, the veteran started drinking more alcohol and taking drugs and the soldier's family thought it would not be a big deal. Unfortunately, everything imploded on Christmas Eve.
Emergency services had to be call. The young mom was home alone with no money and three small children to deal with, while her spouse was admitted to a mental health facility. My mother didn't know how to help. She told me Veterans Affairs had been notified. I advised my Mother to call the local Military Family Resource Center and see if they could help, never sure it was good advice. This circumstance is more common than we think and it has created another problem.
Many soldiers are hiding their mental health issues in order to keep their jobs. They do not want to find themselves in a situation their comrades have found themselves in. Please contact the Veterans Ombudsman to ensure these families have the support they need. http://www.ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca/eng
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