Breaking the Wall Against PTSD

In 2001 they gave me that UN medal there and everything came back because it broke the wall. And every day I see my friend dying again and it’s inconvenient with the PTSD. But from ’77 to 2001 I had my wall was strong. After that I was an MP and I used to go to accidents and it didn’t bother me because in my head I was a man, men don’t cry, don’t have any feeling. My family suffered because of my PTSD and I mean now I realize what I did and for me it break my heart but I didn’t know. When they told me I had PTSD I argued with them I don’t have it. For me it wasn’t PTSD but that’s what we have to deal with now. Now they have a counsellor that go talk to you and push you to let go what you have inside of you, to release it so it won’t go inside and cook inside of you like a pressure pot. We didn’t have that.

Mr. Drapeau shares some personal moments regarding his illness and how the memories never go away.

Daniel Drapeau

Mr. Daniel Drapeau was born September 11, 1957 in Charny, Quebec. After attending high school in Quebec, Mr. Drapeau made the decision to join the Canadian Forces. He held rank of private and became a tank driver with the Armoured Corp. After obtaining his training in Val Cartier, in 1974 Mr. Drapeau accepted deployments to Cyprus and the Middle East. After a year of service, Mr. Drapeau was medically discharged from the Canadian Forces. With the assistance of a service dog, Kenya, Mr. Drapeau maintains a good quality of life finding time to volunteer his service. Mr. Drapeau now resides in Ottawa with his family.