Firefighter says stigma prevented him from seeking counselling after traumatic event
Abbotsford NewsFeb 01, 2019
Eighteen years as a firefighter had exposed
Gauthier, 48, could no longer function at work but the stigma of asking for help in a job where chaos is the norm initially prevented him from reaching out.
"I knew something was wrong right after that call," he said of the
Gauthier said it wasn't the most horrific situation he'd encountered, but it was the one that broke him emotionally.
Over and over again, he would relive the scene of people taking cellphone video of the crash scene as police dealt with a hoard of visitors near a busy cruise-ship terminal and convention centre. Gauthier's family life began to unravel and he felt helpless.
"When you don't have control of your mind and when you can't block those thoughts then you feel like you're losing control and it's an incredibly distressing feeling," he said. "I'm still dealing with it a year and a half later but I'm certainly managing it."
Gauthier finally realized that as a supervisor he had to set an example for the rest of his crew at a
"There's a stigma and we're trying to break that down," he said as he prepared to share his experience and gradual return to work at a conference of first responders meeting in
About 350 people including firefighters, police officers, paramedics, dispatchers as well as their unions and associations are taking part in the event that will feature Gauthier and others in jobs where trauma is part of the job but talking about its impact is not.
Gauthier said he wondered if he'd have to prove himself all over again if he took time off, if he'd put the "brotherhood and sisterhood" of his job at risk.
"Part of my healing, part of my therapy, is talking about it," he said, adding he got counselling. When he returned to work after five months he didn't initially go out on calls, worked shorter days and slowly exposed himself to the rigours of the job, including driving past the accident scene that led to his breakdown.
The key to getting that help is a commitment from employers to put prevention, peer-support and return-to-work programs in place, she said.
"We did some research among first responders and that was one thing we clearly heard, that this has to be a culture change and we need to make sure our leaders are invested in this, not only with their words but with the budget and action behind it."
Otherwise, the costs range from low productivity, a high number of sick days and the potential for long-term disability from post-traumatic stress disorder, Rondou said.
Last year, the
In
Last June, the federal government adopted presumptive legislation to combat post-traumatic stress disorder experienced by federal first responders, including employees of the RCMP, the Correctional Service of
On Wednesday, Conservative MP
"This spring we will be moving forward with the plan to fight PTSD that the minister of Public Safety and Security will put forward," Trudeau said.