Journey through post-traumatic stress: A story of 2 officers

Dave O'Dea was getting ready to go out one night in 2011just brushing his teeth when hefinally broke down in tears.

It happened three years after the correctional officerbegan suffering bouts of anxiety and depression.

On this night, there was no apparent reason for his breakdown. He just fell apart.

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"I've had inmates mention my child, where I live and 'I'mcoming whenI getout and I'm going to kill you and your family,'" O'Deatold CBC News.

"I've spent weeks on my couch all night long basically watching TVand watching out the window and that leaves you at home in a state of mind where you're prepared to defend your home, your family, and you're willing to kill someone."

O'Dearetired with a disability from his career as a correctional officer at Her Majesty's Penitentiary this year after 14 years of service.

Around the same time O'Dea was suffering, a youngRoyal Newfoundland Constabulary officer was also starting to realize something was wrong.

Const. Kelsey Aboud, who'scurrently on long-term disability, started having mental health issues in 2008.

Aboud beganto drink more, isolated herself from family and friends, and stopped doing the things she loved.

You're always told to be 10-foot tall and bullet proof and not to let things bother you. I just stuffed it all in and just eventually just exploded in 2015.- Const. Kelsey Aboud

She can't pick one incident that triggered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) it's the result of an accumulation of events, having heldmany serious portfolios during her career.

"Working on streetpatrol, I was first responder to many fatalities, a lot of death, a lot of child abuse, sexual assaults, which were very traumatic,"Aboudsaid.

She added that police officerscanbe vicariously traumatized by hearing about other people's suffering.

"I worked in an investigative interview unit and I was always interviewingpeoplewho were suffering traumatic incidentsthe C.B.S. shooting being one of them, the double homicide," she said.

"All of that builds up and your resiliencegets lower until you finally crash."

She wasdiagnosedwith PTSDin 2015.

Aboud felt even more pressure to have a tough exterior because she was a young female officer, having joined the force at the age of 19.

"You're always told to be 10-foot tall and bullet proof and not to let things bother you. I just stuffed it all in and just eventually just exploded in 2015."

Is enough being done?

Aboud and O'Dea were inspired to speak publicly about their PTSD and what they say is a lack of support, in the wake of RCMP Corporal Trevor O'Keefe's death.

O'Keefe, who also had PTSD,killed himself on Sept. 11.

BothO'DeaandAboudsay stigma still exists and played a role in their fear of coming forward to their employers.

"As it spreads throughthe workplace everyone talks,"O'Deasaid."I felt I had the reputation for beingthe crazy guy, the unstable guy. That stigma comes with it.

"I felt the department didn't want you then."

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O'Deasaid he felt the Department of Justice and Public Safety wanted to push him out, insteadof finding ways to help.

I felt I had the reputation for beingthe crazy guy, the unstable guy. That stigma comes with it.- Dave O'Dea

He wanted an accommodation to allow him to get away from the front lines, but O'Deasaid he was blocked from seeing internal job postings. He's filed a human rights complaint.

"It's just a shame that these employment opportunities and careers destroy people and the support is not there," he said, adding that all agencies and groups should work together to help people with PTSD.

As for Aboud, she would like to go back to work but doesn't know if an appropriate accommodation is available.

After attending a PTSDprogram at Homewood Health Centre in Guelph she's been learning coping mechanisms and is staying active. But she admits she hasa long road ahead.

"I can't stress enough how important it is for an officer to reach out. Iwish I didwhen I was feeling it but I felt weak and unfortunately it led me down a wrong path."

Early intervention

RNC Insp. Shawn O'Reilly, who chairs the RNC's mental health strategy working group, said over his 31-year career he's seen a drastic shift in the way officers talk about mental health.

"Now people are more open. Stigma is a barrier to seeking help and if we reduce stigma we'll know people will get help."

A program called Road to Mental Readiness was adopted by the RNC two years ago, O'Reilly said, addingthere are members whodo talks about PTSD with groups outside the organization.

Officers also have access to the employee assistance program (EAP).

Aboud said she could count on one hand how many debriefings there were in her career, adding she remembers one instance where she was the only person to show up to a group debriefing. She'd like for them to be mandatory.

O'Reillysaid in certain cases they are mandatory, depending on the severity of the event officers witnessed.

"When we talk about a traumatic event a death of a person or child, a suicide, something graphic like a fatal car accident, officer-involved shooting, or any other event we deem traumaticwe'll organize a debriefing for the officers involved," O'Reilly said.

O'Reilly said officers are walked through the effects of traumatic stress and are told to get further help ifthey still recall the disturbing event in 48 to 72 hours.

Asked what happens to officers who currently have PTSD, O'Reilly said the force works with health professionals to find an accommodation if they can.

'Attendance'issue at correctional facilities

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice and Public Safety says correctional officers do have access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

If officers need more help, the department said it could fund more services.

The department said it works with an integrated disability managerto devise a plan to get officers back to work, if possible.

Asked if sick leave is an issue at its correctional institutions, the department said "attendance is an issuethat is regularly being addressed.

"Adult Custody is managing this issue by increased communication, implementing additional resources, increased training, and by creating, implementing and evaluating a wellness and mental health strategy."