We are very proud to be partnered with
The Badge of Life (USA)
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Surviving and Living
with
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Police officers experience daily contact with violent, perverse and cruel people which takes a toll on a police officer’s heart and mind and has a toxic effect on their souls. It can never be enough that we sit and wait until officers are in crisis or are suicidal before we act.
We have to do something before they get there!
ABOUT US:
We are PTSD survivors, first responders and professional trauma specialists who are all working together to encourage peer support connections for active and retired police officers, as well as those in emergency services personnel, 9-1-1 dispatchers and their families Canada wide who are looking for first contact.
We are not an organization with a funding requirement – we simply volunteer our time to assist with the existence of this website and the mandate of Badge of Life Canada which is to:
- Be committed to connecting active and retired police officers, as well as those in emergency services, 9-1-1 dispatchers and their families, who are suffering of stress and/or trauma as a direct result of their employment in law enforcement and/or emergency work.
- Engage in encouraging every member to participate in a voluntary medical mental health check annually so that they will have the strength and resiliency to respond to trauma and accumulated stress in a healthy and positive manner. Badge of Life USA has an excellent link, The Annual Mental Health Check, to the value of voluntary mental health checks and we endorse their approach.
- Dedicated to ideas and experiences of those living through these events being shared amongst each other in order to assist those who are newly involved in work related trauma.
NOTE: It is not the intent of Badge of Life Canada to eliminate or replace the valuable use and existence of certified peer/family support crisis incident stress management personnel, or mental or medical health practitioners. We encourage and support the use of certified crisis intervention workers or mental or medical health practitioners on staff in organizations. In fact, we have a list of those who have advised us that they are willing to help professionally if called upon. See our listings of Trauma Professionals.
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Many emergency services personnel become disabled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of being directly or indirectly involved in traumatic incidents while working in their chosen profession of protecting the public. Becoming disabled with PTSD and taking the path to recovery does not have to be a lonely journey.
Emergency services management must be pro-active in providing Mental health programs for their members in order to prevent them from developing PTSD and peer support should be made available to all members as required.
If you are a member of a police service, emergency services personnel, 9-1-1 dispatcher and/or of their families Canada wide who is looking for first contact and you believe you have some or all of the symptoms of PTSD or have a comrade or know of an employee that you believe is struggling to cope with PTSD and other related issues and believe the employees needs help, please contact your local medical practitioner or psychologist as soon as possible.
Badge of Life Canada is helping to connect emergency services personnel as peers connecting with peers. As PTSD survivors, we can assure you that seeking professional help is indeed the right first step to addressing PTSD.
Yesterday was a very hard day. It brought back all the emotions and stress of the morning of 911.
I’m retired now, but all the adrenalin pumped through me, wanting to be there at work and help and not being able to do anything to help the officers and First Responders in Boston.
Just like 911, we were here doing the emergency preparedness here, while watching our TVs helplessly, instead of our trained instinct to run to the fight and assist.
If you were a First Responder when 911 happened and fell like this today. Feel free to comment. You are not alone.
I am a Solicitor who works representing Police Officers who find themselves before disciplinary tribunals and/or Criminal Courts as a result of misconduct. Many of these are as a result of PTSD or other forms of disabilities.
I commend all of the police officers who face the ugliness of this world on a daily basis, and deal with the torment that is associated with such, so that we do not have to. I further commend organizations such as Badge of Life for reaching out and providing support to them. You truly are heroes.
Let’s all continue to work towards providing a policing culture where it is acceptable to ask for and seek treatment. All of us share the responsibility to not only recognize, but also accommodate disability.
We’ve probably crossed paths on a few of these cases together if you are from the Toronto area. I know many legal counsel from the Toronto area representing officers who have found themselves before tribunals/courts. In a lot of cases the contributing factor was the behaviours associatied with PTSD.
Hello Andy and Peter and everyone else.
I finally made it to site after a few months. I am a retired (short career) police officer and one that suffered from PTSD. I am now teaching college students to become future police officers in Ontario.
I look forward to keep in touch and sharing ideas. A big thank you Peter for getting me here.
D.M Toronto, Ont
I’m searching to know what is life after PTSD, can we live without set a back, I was not diagnosed for over 20 years, I was sent to a detox, not a treatment centre, because of my self medication with alcohol, I’m back to work and now face the stigma from the organization,
A good question, Luc. I’m not completely understanding your circumstance, but can assure you that substance abuse is often what they call a “maladaptive coping technique” to deal with trauma and the symptoms of PTSD. I’m glad you were finally diagnosed properly, though stigma is common and borne of ignorance.
Can we live without a setback? Life gives us no guarantees, particularly with PTSD, which is an injury to the brain that results in both emotional and physical changes–often permanent. The amount of time and the symptomology since the trauma can play a role in the likelihood of a recurrence. If you are feeling concern for yourself or any symptoms at all, and if the stigmatization is bothering you, you absolutely should visit a therapist a few times and talk things over.
You’re not alone–all of us who have survived PTSD this far share the same worries. Be kind to yourself, and don’t be afraid to find someone to talk with!
We want to express our admiration and support for the work you are doing for veterans and first responders. Your efforts are doing much to spread the message of hope and healing. Both Inspector Kruger and Robert Goodman must be admired for their courage in stepping forward and offering themselves as examples of the struggles so many of us face–and can endure. Continue on with your inspired work!
Andy O’Hara, Badge of Life
Listen I have been searching for months on finding info about service dogs. I have served 1 tour in Iraq and was medivaced out. I am service connected for PTSD and other things. I found the perfect dog to be my service dog and she is a pup and I am going to do the training myself with the help of some wonderful people I have met. I am from Ohio and Service dogs for veterans is a new thing and the VA has yet to start helping with paying for the training. I have started training my dog even though it is the 1st steps to many I have really enjoyed the 1st steps.
When I got back and to this day I have not done the things I used to enjoy before I went over but with the training have something to do again. It is funny even as young as she is I had training last night with her and on the way home I started to get aggressive while I was driving and I think she sensed that and place her head on my leg as to say slow down and it was weird I started to feel better. Now the training I want to do is going to take longer due to money and the VA not paying but it will get done.
Service dogs for Veterans is going to be a great thing for us and you are going to see a lot more of us doing it to survive everyday life.
F.D. USA