Calgary veteran uses peer support to help those with PTSD and trauma

A Calgary veteran is working hard to fill in the gaps for service members who struggle with the transition to life after time in the military.

After serving with the Canadian Armed Forces for 23 years, John Senior acknowledges that returning to civilian life can be equally hard.

He says his years of service were demanding and dangerous, and he saw the unimaginable.

That’s why he’s devoting his time to offering peer support to service members suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma.

“‘Why do I get angry so fast? Why do I have cold sweats in the middle of the night? Why do I go and have night terrors and build a trench in the backyard?'” Senior explained.

“When they hear from other people in the same spectrum, it means a lot more to them, and that’s what helps them get that strength and that willingness to talk to a clinician to deal with those things”

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Senior offers one-on-one peer support, along with group work, as a group support leader through Osi-Can, an “Operational Stress Injury/Post Traumatic Stress Support Initiative” that was formed in 2016 through a partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and The Royal Canadian Legion.

He says it is not therapy, but states the experience can be “therapeutic.”

“So there’s some betrayal issues, they don’t get to finish their careers, or there’s injuries … where they get mental health issues because of the certain injuries — the physical injuries,” he explained.

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He says many veterans and first responders have “white coat syndrome,” which he says is a hesitancy to seek medical help, and are more likely to seek support from someone with a shared experience.

Senior says peer support for service members is lacking across the country, and unfortunately, many have already fallen through the gaps in the system.

Osi-Can offers a safe space to veterans and first responders who need help.

The free, safe, and confidential peer support is available to service members and their families in a one-on-one and group setting.

More information on Osi-Can and its services can be found online.