Sudbury Health Sciences North trains workers to recognize PTSD
Hospital wants to improve education of staff, psychologist says
Sudbury's Health Sciences North is working with their staff to help better identify and treat patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The condition affects the mental health of sufferers by causing major stress and anxiety for those who have endured a traumatic experience.
For some, the training did not come soon enough.
- Man with PTSD moves to Sudbury for help
- CMHA extends hours for mental health sufferers
- Demand high for new mental health centre
As mentioned in a CBC Sudbury story that hit airwaves and online Tuesday, Stephen Budd had to move to Sudbury in order to meet with a therapist twice a month for the support he needs to treat his PTSD.
Budd says he was eighth on a waiting list to see a counsellor in September 2014, but when he checked again on his status in January, he saw he was bumped down to 16.
"Wow. Stop. No," Stephen Budd said of the news. "I moved here to do this."
Because it's not visible ... he's ignored.- Mike Budd, brother of PTSD sufferer
It was only after he and his brother, Mike, made several phone calls to local health professionals did he finally get to the front of the line for the help he needs.
"If he showed up in there with an arm cut off, he'd have health care immediately," Mike Budd said. "But because it's not visible, because he's a walking wounded, he's ignored."
PTSD becoming more identifiable
Dr. Albert Gouge is a clinical psychologist at the Sudbury hospital who says PTSD presents a new challenge for the health care system.
"Because it's a disorder that wasn't readily recognized, it's becoming more and more recognized as the underlying fundamental problem," Gouge said. "And so, more and more people are being referred for treatment or are being identified in our existing programs.
"We have patients on every team in our mental health program with PTSD," he added.
While Health Sciences North does not have a specific treatment program for PTSD sufferers, Gouge said the hospital's goal is to have enough staff adequately trained to assist these patients by next year.
