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Two veterans with PTSD find an unlikely & unexpected friendship

He was a Canadian soldier diagnosed with PTSD and eventually declared no longer fit for duty. Christian MacEachern was on a self-destructive spree on the night he was arrested on base by Jim Watts, another military man who would face his own challenges with PTSD. We hear how their unexpected friendship would offer each a chance to move forward....
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Jim Watts and Christian McEachern met through an equine-assisted therapy program called Can Praxis that helps veterans recover from PTSD and operational stress injuries. Interestingly enough, they met before and found they had a lot in common. (Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images)
The Current24:00Two veterans with PTSD find an unlikely and unexpected friendship - April 1, 2014

He was a Canadian soldier diagnosed with PTSD and eventually declared no longer fit for duty. Christian MacEachern was on a self-destructive spree on the night he was arrested on base by Jim Watts, another military man who would face his own challenges with PTSD. We hear how their unexpected friendship would offer each a chance to move forward.
 

*** A warning... some of the details of this story are disturbing. ***
"One day you're walking on a patrol in a bombed out town and the next day you're trying to pick what cereal you're going to eat in the cereal aisle in Safeway ... it becomes overwhelming."- Christian MacEachern, Canadian soldier diagnosed with PTSD

In less than one week in March, two more Canadian soldiers were found dead... both believed to have taken their own life. That kind of grim news has become tragically familiar after a spate of military suicides. The deaths have renewed the debate over how well Canada is treating soldiers and veterans who suffer from mental health problems such as post traumatic stress disorder.

Today, we bring you a story about a suicidal soldier, a troubling encounter... and a surprising alliance. Molly Segal's documentary is called An Unlikely Friendship.

The Current requested an interview with the Minister of Defence, Robert Nicholson and we were told the Minister was not available. We also requested an interview with Chief of the Defence Staff, General Tom Lawson, or with a department spokesperson. No one was available to join us.

Robert Semrau's open letter to soldiers in despair

My fellow soldiers ... reject suicide

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