VIDEO: Peel Regional Police - Not Afraid to Talk

VIDEO: Peel Regional Police Talks About PTSD

WATCH: The Bell Let’s Talk campaign was founded by Clara Hughes and designed to end the stigma attached to mental illness. This campaign launched in 2010 and has grown a tremendous amount over the past eight years and will continue to grow and raise awareness. There are four main pillars of this campaign including anti-stigma, research, care and access and workplace leadership. It was initially launched as a five year program and was extended in 2015 for an additional five years with the commitment to raise at least one hundred million dollars to be used in funding for Canadian mental health initiatives.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that is stimulated by witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. Symptoms of PTSD may occur immediately after the event but usually develops within six months of a traumatic exposure to an event. Symptoms may include nightmares, flashbacks, uncontrollable memories, persistent fear and severe anxiety.

Peel Regional Police have gone above and beyond in efforts to provide programs and resources that are made available to all employees to encourage positive mental health. Our PTSD prevention plan is a crucial piece of our mental health strategy and initiatives. Working in partnership with community agencies, our Organizational Wellness Bureau regularly liaises with officers after a traumatic call or event and offers support through the Member Assistance Program.

Police, Firefighters, Paramedics and other emergency workers dedicate their lives to helping those in emergency situations, never knowing what to expect. They have a heightened risk when it comes to PTSD and other mental health issues due to the service they provide.

Statistics:

-          Estimates suggest that 70,000 Canadian first responders have suffered from PTSD.

-          Approximately 50,000 first responders have experienced PTSD in their lifetime.

-          In 2018, a study of more than five thousand Canadian first responder emergency workers published by Canadian Psychology found that first responders have higher rates of thoughts and attempts of self-harm than the general public.

-          PTSD is one of the most widely recognized anxiety disorders experiences by police.

First responders are human and far too often we see them in uniform and simply forget that they are one of us; a mother, daughter, son, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or grandparent. The stigma needs to end.  

More resources and information regarding PTSD is available at the CAMH website or by watching our video.