PTSD in Canada Invisible Injuries

Invisible injuries

Thu, October 25, 2007

A clinic in London's Parkwood Hospital is the only place in Ontario where returning soldiers can get treatment for a range of disorders caused by the stress of serving in the world's hot spots.

By JOHN MINER, SUN MEDIA
It can be triggered by something as simple as a price special at the local grocery store.

People start to crowd together, pushing to get to the front. Then there's a sharp voice in the crowd, ordering everyone to move back.

But the veteran who is barking the orders isn't at the local grocery store in his mind. He's back in Rwanda or Somalia or Afghanistan, dealing with a swarming that could be lethal if he misjudges the crowd.

He's a victim of what Canada's military calls "operational stress injury" and their American counterparts call "combat stress injury."

London is home to Ontario's only clinic set up to treat the increasing number of veterans, armed forces members and RCMP officers who have suffered psychological injuries serving in the Canadian military
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