According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), PTSD can cause a person to feel like they're constantly on the edge, in fear of reliving a traumatic experience. With PTSD, many feel like they are reliving their trauma, through flashbacks and nightmares, or thoughts about their experiences coming out of nowhere. The moods and emotions of those affected can also change, causing those who suffer to find their own methods of coping, often in the form of alcohol or drugs.
So what can we do? How might we be able to aid those who suffer? The CMHA site suggests learning more about PTSD, and letting those who are affected know that you are there for them. Be willing to talk about it, or better yet, listen when someone who has PTSD is ready open up about their condition.
There are also many other organizations that are dedicated to the health and well-being of those who have physical and mental illnesses, such as Wounded Warriors.
Wounded Warriors is a Canadian not-for-profit organization that's dedicated to helping the members of our Canadian Armed Forces, whether they be regular force or reservists, who have been wounded or injured in service. Whether you're an amputee, or suffer from PTSD, they are dedicated to trying to help members of our forces transition from service to civilian life.
An organization Canadian band The Trews supports is the Canadian Hero Fund.
Often, the ones who are left feeling empty- a trauma of their own- are the families of the fallen. The Canadian Hero Fund is a grass-roots organization whose aim is to raise funds for scholarships for families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty.
A group that I'm a long-time supporter of is the The War Amps of Canada (or in casual conversation, who I refer to as the Canadian War Amps, or simply The War Amps).
It was founded in 1918 by amputees who had returned home from the First World War. Yes, The War Amps of Canada is an organization of amputees assisting other amputees. They offer counseling, self-help, and aim to help improve the overall life of our veteran amps. However, they have expanded from strictly military amputees, and for as long as I can remember, they have also dedicated their services to aiding child amputees. When I was 8 or 9, I had the privilege of meeting Cliff Chadderton, who was not only a WWII amp himself, but he was also the head of The War Amps organization. That meeting is likely why I feel such a strong affiliation toward this organization. Yes, I do send in donations for the key tags (which helped me the year I lost my keys on the back of a truck at Dofasco, but that's another story). It's another way that I choose to give back and help our heroes.
Are those who are suffering from trauma- PTSD or an amputee- ever going to feel like they're whole again? I don't know. I don't have any direct experience myself, nor am I aware of anyone with such conditions. But then, not everyone who suffers lets it be known. So can Humpty be put together again? Maybe not, but there are people, such as myself, and organizations who want to aide those who suffer from PTSD, Shell-Shock, or are amputees, try to live as normally as they desire again. It may not make someone feel complete again, but it is a start.
For more information on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the organizations discussed, please follow the links below.
Canadian Mental Health Association:
http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/#.VF_efMlUwrw
Wounded Warriors:
http://woundedwarriors.ca/
Canadian Hero Fund:
http://herofund.ca/
The War Amps of Canada:
http://www.waramps.ca/home.html
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