Veteran Mental Health in Canada: Signs You Might Need Support and What Works
Are you having trouble adapting to civilian life? Do you have trouble sleeping at night or experience nightmares? Do you feel constantly on edge? More irritable than usual? Numb or disconnected? Are you having flashbacks or intrusive memories? If you answered yes to many of these questions, you may be experiencing PTSD or Complex PTSD. You don’t need a diagnosis. You don’t need to be in crisis. You just need a place to begin. Veteran mental health care is important!
There is a way forward. As a therapist who has worked with many members of the military, Annette understands the challenges associated with the transition from service to civilian identity. She knows that repeated exposure to high-stress environments can cause a multitude of problems, and that functional does not mean okay.
What Are the Symptoms of PTSD in Veterans?
PTSD symptoms in veterans typically include:
- Re-experiencing the traumatic event through intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, and nightmares.
- Avoidance of thoughts and feelings related to the trauma — including avoiding people, places, or things that are reminders of what happened.
- Changes in thought or mood, including feeling on edge, detached from others, guilt, and self-blame.
- Hypervigilance, being on high alert when there is no obvious reason to be extra alert.
- Irritability and difficulty concentrating.
- Symptoms are usually connected to a specific incident or period of service.
Does Veterans Affairs Canada Cover Therapy for PTSD?
Military PTSD is a real and recognised condition. Reaching out for help can be challenging, and there is often a stigma associated with doing so. But support is available, and it is covered.
Therapy for PTSD is typically covered by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), assuming eligibility requirements are met. According to the VAC website, when you apply for a disability benefit for specific mental health concerns — such as anxiety, depression, or trauma-related stressors — you become eligible for mental health benefits.
Annette is a registered provider with Medavie Blue Cross insurance, which covers mental health services for veterans, which means you don’t have to pay out of pocket when you work with her.
It may seem hard to trust someone who hasn’t been there. But talking can help. You don’t need to know how to start, just reach out and Annette can help guide you to the right resources.
What Is the First Therapy Session Like for Veterans Suffering PTSD or CPTSD?
The military emphasises mental toughness, and you may feel that accessing therapy means you are not tough. In reality, going to therapy and talking about your experiences requires a different kind of toughness.
The first session is an opportunity for you to get to know the therapist, and for the therapist to get to know you. Discussing your goals and how to get there will take up most of that first conversation. You don’t need to know the answers, or even the questions. Just showing up starts the process.
Therapy isn’t just about talking about the past. It’s about learning how to better manage the way the past keeps showing up in your present.
What Type of Therapy Best Helps Veterans with PTSD or CPTSD?
There are many types of therapy that can benefit veterans experiencing military PTSD. Annette specializes in two evidence-based, clinically recognized approaches:
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) — A well-researched, evidence-based therapy endorsed by the World Health Organization and the American Psychological Association. Annette is a trained and certified EMDR therapist.
- CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy) — A specialized form of cognitive behavioural therapy developed specifically for trauma. Annette is a recognized CPT provider.
What Can You Do Now to Manage Hypervigilance and PTSD or CPTSD Symptoms?
While you are waiting to begin therapy, these strategies can help you manage symptoms in the moment:
- Self-talk — Remind yourself: “This is not happening right now. I am safe, even though it doesn’t feel that way.”
- Grounding — Orient yourself to the present using all your senses: 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can feel, 2 things you can taste, and 1 thing you can smell.
- Movement — Stand up, sit down, or go for a walk. Changing your physical state interrupts the response.
- Temperature change — Use cold or heat to bring yourself back to the present.
- Breathing — Breathe in steadily, then breathe out slowly for 5–10 repetitions. A longer exhale activates your body’s calming response.
- Self-care — After a trigger, give yourself time to rest. Journalling about what happened can also help over time.
These tools are a starting point. Learning to navigate your triggers more fully is part of what happens in trauma therapy.
Work With a Trauma Therapist Who Understands Military Service
If you recognized yourself in this blog — the hypervigilance, the nightmares, the difficulty trusting people, the exhaustion of holding it all together — please know that what you’re experiencing has a name, and it has a treatment.
Annette Poechman is a Registered Psychotherapist and Certified EMDR Therapist based with over 25 years of experience supporting individuals living with PTSD, CPTSD, and trauma. She is currently accepting new clients.
You don’t need to have the words. You don’t need to know where to start. Just reach out to book a free 15-minute consultation and take the first step toward feeling safe again.
Resources: Veterans Affairs in Canada Links You May Find Helpful
Listening. Guiding. Caring.
