Post-traumatic stress disorder: a NWT family testifies

Norm Mair of Yellowknife often thinks of that time he visited his brother Barry when he was living in Edmonton. Instead of sleeping at home, he had had to rent a hotel room, because Barry hadn’t the capacity to welcome him at the time.

If Norm Mair had been hurt by the situation, he had supported his brother, because he saw that he was struggling with something much bigger.

This Somethingis post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric disorder that affects people who have experienced or witnessed traumatic events. Monday is National Awareness Day. PTSD in Canada.

Barry Mair, a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer, had to deal with the PTSD for years. In February, when he was 60 years old, he took his own life.

Norm Mair and the rest of the family consider the disorder a work-related illness, the consequence of his many years working as a front-line officer in British Columbia and witnessing the harsh reality on the ground.

The family thought twice before sharing details of Barry’s struggle and death by suicide. They do, however, want people to be more aware of the insidious nature of PTSDespecially if it is not diagnosed and treated.

A well living before sinking

Barry Mair hasn’t always faced mental health issues, with his brother describing him as lively, intelligent and witty.

He had this mischievous nature about him, along with a wry sense of humor. He loved being surrounded by his family and friends.

Barry’s other brother, John Mair, explains that since his death, the family has received many testimonials from people who knew the former RCMP officer. Many of them say how much they enjoyed working with him.

He was never one to brag. He was discreet behind the scenes, always trying to help, to improve the situationexplains John Mair.

Barry Mair spent many years at the Surrey RCMP and Fraser Lake Detachment in British Columbia, as well as some time in Yellowknife, before moving to Edmonton. He retired in 2016.

Even if the family does not connect the PTSD of Barry at a particular event, John Mair, himself having worked for the RCMPthinks his brother’s experience in Surrey has taken a particular toll on his morale.

It is one of the most difficult detachments in the RCMP in Canada. You are exposed to many traumatic incidents.

Symptoms dating back 20 years

According to John Mair, his brother’s first symptoms began to appear in the early 2000s. While he shared some of his experience with his family, he was reluctant to seek help.

It is somewhat the result of the corporate culture within the RCMP dealing with traumatic incidents in the 1980s and 1990s. […] We had to move forward and not show weaknessesdeplores John Mair, who maintains, however, that things have evolved since then.

While the symptoms of PTSD by Barry Mair continued to worsen, his physical health also suffered and the man struggled with alcohol and drugs towards the end of his life.

John Mair wishes his brother had spoken to him sooner so he could play a more active role in his therapy. He adds that in recent years, Barry Mair still seemed to have made great progress.

We have seen our brother emerge from the darkness. The light seemed to return after his effortsnotes for his part Norm Mair.

A death difficult to understand

This apparent progress has made Barry’s death even harder to understand for his family, who believe his departure was accidental.

Barry Mair died the same day as his beloved dog, who was euthanized after battling cancer, causing a lot of distress. According to Norm Mair, his brother has fallen back into his old demons.

We think he didn’t want to take his own life. He wanted to end the pain. But under the influence, he couldn’t tell the difference.

The Mair family wants to encourage people suffering from PTSD to seek support and help, as soon as possible. They also advise families and loved ones to do research and learn how best to help them.

Our main hope is that life [de Barry] is useful to others, and that our experience is useful to othersconcludes Norm Mair.

With information from Paul Tukker