I have worked 911 Dispatch and taken police calls for the territory for the past 11 years. Through my experiences, I have learned that PTSD and OSI symptoms can develop over time, manifesting in little ways that you don't notice until you're in the thick of it. I've also learned these experiences affect everyone differently, at different times in their career and life.
Unlike a physical injury such as a broken leg, mental health symptoms can be difficult to recognize, and others may find it hard to know when and how to offer support. For myself, it started slowly as a travel anxiety. Because I knew how long it could take for emergency services to arrive at remote locations, I wouldn't leave Whitehorse city limits. When it got to the point I was unable to fly south for a family funeral, I realized I couldn't handle it on my own and I had to get help. It felt humiliating that I couldn't be there for my family.
Because of my experience, it’s important for me to normalize mental health with my family and my children. My Girls know that Mom has a “head doctor” and a “body doctor” and that it's okay to seek help from both.
I hope one day mental health stigma is gone and these issues are as relatable and normalized as other chronic conditions - that it's no longer scary to admit to each other, “Hey, I’m having a shitty head day."
I've heard so many people’s last breaths…and that sticks with you. You don’t forget those.