MONCTON, N.B. – For Bucky Buchanon, it was the smell of the ocean air that would set him off.
“It would definitely make me sweat or have to use the bathroom, or want to throw up or something,” he said.
A long-time serving member of the military, Buchanon was a Master Cpl. technician in Cold Lake, Alberta.
But it was after his military immediate response unit was called to the crash site of Swiss Air 111, that he started to show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I would sit in my basement, try to watch a hockey game, and cry because ‘O Canada’ was coming on. And I mean, like, really?” he said. “I would get so angry if somebody parked in a handicap spot and shouldn’t be there. Just, any kind of injustice or something that wasn’t right, I’d want to lose my mind.”
But through it all – witnessing horrific events and responding to deadly situations – perhaps Buchanon’s bravest moment was reaching out for help.
“I didn’t know what it was, I just had to make that call.”
“We can never do enough for our veterans,” said New Brunswick MLA Brian MacDonald.
MacDonald served in Bosnia and Afghanistan but has become an advocate for veterans through his political life.
He was at Sunday’s federal announcement, unveiling $200 million over six years to combat mental illness among military members and provide more support for their families.
READ MORE: Additional $200M announced for military mental health programs over 6 years
MacDonald says we need to pay special attention to members going through the transition from military to civilian life.
“When you take the uniform off, that’s a very vulnerable time, your identity is linked to your service and the military culture that you were a part of, so when you become a civilian it’s a difficult transition,” he said.
The government says some of the money will fund completely digitizing the health records of all serving personnel, investing in brain imaging technology and extending access to Military Family Resource Centres.
“New money’s good if it stays there and keeps moving forward,” Buchanon said. “If it’s just a ploy and you’re going to pull it back later, end up not spending it, then it’s not going to be worth anything.”
‘They’ve got to include everyone’
Buchanon said it’s time first responders receive some attention too.
“I think that it’s great for the military, but they have to include everyone,” he said. “It’s just that simple.”
First responders – police, paramedics, firefighters – come across violence, substance abuse, and severe health emergencies on a day-to-day basis.
Over the summer, 13 Canadian first responders reportedly killed themselves, according to Tema Conter Memorial Trust, an organization that promotes mental health awareness among Canada’s emergency workers.
READ MORE: Is there enough mental health support for first responders?
“You want an RCMP officer getting angry for no reason? Do you want a paramedic to show up and he just can’t take it anymore when it’s your turn to get hurt?” Buchanon said.
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