Suffering In Silence

The life of first responders, corrections and members of the military is one full of opportunities to make a difference and have unique experiences.  However, one side of the job that is rarely discussed is post-traumatic stress. As the awareness of mental illness has increased over the years, so has the discussion of how it needs to be addressed for people who have high stress jobs, or regular exposure to traumatic events.  The statistics in Canada are alarming: 38 first responders and 12 members of the military took their lives in 2015 alone (that we know of.)  Clearly the support these men and women receive is not enough, it has to change.  Suffering in Silence shares the experiences of first responders and how PTSD affects their daily lives.  It also examines how education both before and after a critical incident needs to dramatically change if we can ever hope to make a difference in these men and women’s lives.

*Update! Since the original airing of this documentary, Bill 163 was introduced by the Liberal Government and passed with full support of all parties at Queen's Park in Ontario.  PTSD is now considered a workplace injury by the WSIB in Ontario.*

Host: Becky Coles
Research & interviews: Becky Coles
Technical Production: George Tsilfidis & Becky Coles
Original Music: Dellwood Music Productions

Contributors:
Kate Aucoin, Debbie Bodkin, Jon Carson, John Coles, Lionel Crowther, MPP Cheri DiNovo, MPP Kevin Flynn, Annette Hunter, Stephen Lonsdale, Colleen McCourt, Cpl Jamie Macwhirtier, Jeff Morley, Vince Savoia, Mirella Savoia, Norman Traversy, Frank Ramagnano, Mike McCormack, Geoff MacBride

Additional information provided by:
Erin Alvarez, Anna Batchelor (Edmonton Police Service), Donna Munro (Edmonton Police Service), Carl Neilsen, Andrea Houston, Craig MacBride, Rania Walker, Steve Walker