Identifying with PTSD

Heroes Remember

Identifying with PTSD

Transcript

Interviewer: Is it difficult to identify with PTSD? I don’t know why I can speak about it freely. A week after my accident like I said when I was in quarantine in Amsterdam. The Air Force general walked into my room and, you know, he was a well-to-do, he was up there and, you know, he said, “Mike, looked I have news for you.” And I woke up and I was kind of groggy and I said, “I already know my career is done.” He goes, “Good, a DVA rep is going to come and they are going to start processing your paperwork for your release and once all your surgeries are done…” So then my mind I am going oh my god but like I knew right away and I knew because my accident happened so young or young, I was 31, which is still very young in the military. I prepped myself from the day that I was coherent after the accident. I knew everything was done. I remember the first moment that I had PTSD. I remember what happened and it scared the shit out of me. I remember it vividly and my ex-wife Jodi at the time knows it too. I am not afraid to talk about it. I have to force myself at times. I break down. Sometimes it’s too much for people to hear about the indignities that we see in life because we can’t comprehend it, you know. And there’s guys that are physically worse off than I am, no legs, no arms. Aaron is blind right? Guys in Afghanistan lose their limbs and their legs plus they suffer from an OSI injury. You look at me and you go, “He’s not injured.” Oh yes I am broken.

Description

Thier sends a powerful message of what it’s like to live with PTSD and affects it brings for a lifetime.

Michael Thier

Mr. Michael Their was born in Vancouver, B.C. August 30, 1970. Looking at options for a career choice, at age 24 Mike considering himself a late bloomer chose to join the military. Only four days after joining up and being trained an as infantry soldier, Mike was given an opportunity to deploy to Bosnia with IFOR ’96, SFOR ’99 and then to Ethiopia as part of UNMEE in 2001. After a horrific accident turret explosion to the armoured vehicle, Mike received serious facial wounds and after more than twenty surgeries he was given no choice but to be medically released from the military. Suffering with PTSD, Mike continues to struggle yet carries on with a sense of purpose in life and holds great pride in wearing the maple leaf. Mike has been named part of Team Canada for Invictus Games 2018 taking part in the sport of weight lifting and wheelchair basketball. Mike resides in Fredericton, New Brunswick with and family.

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