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By Gates Guarin

Supports available for those dealing with PTSD

Apr 25, 2022 | 3:31 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Statistics Canada suggests one in four Canadians have had their mental health affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

First responders working the front lines have been hit especially hard. The province recently announced supports for first responders and care workers dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Canadian Mental Health Association Alberta Southeast Region is just one local resource people can reach out to for programs and resources dealing with anxiety and trauma.

Breanne Mellen, suicide prevention program coordinator with CMHA, explains programs are offered to the community through three areas: education, support and navigation.

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She says it is through the navigation area that the CMHA is able to help give those who are looking for specific forms of support, such as PTSD, the help and resources they need.

“We often get a lot of calls from individuals who need more supports than we are able to offer,” Mellen says. So if you call us and you say ‘I’m struggling with my PTSD, here’s what I’m experiencing, where do I go?,’ we will give you numbers to call in places you can reach out to for say, counselling, or we might advise you need to speak with your family doctor because it sounds like you’re really struggling and you might need to see psychiatry,” Mellen says.

A full list of programs can be found on the CMHA’s website.