Better Off Dead: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the Canadian Armed Forces

Doucette (Empty Casing) understands post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He lived with the trauma of his military service even after he returned home, enduring panic attacks and nightmares and avoiding social contact. After finally seeking help, he embarked on a journey toward healing himself and later, helping others to heal. In this book, Doucette explains the real-life, human toll PTSD takes on soldiers and their friends and family, giving an insider's look at the wrenching pain they suffer until they are sometimes left feeling they'd be better off dead. In addition to his own experiences, Doucette relates other veterans' stories, sometimes in their own words and sometimes paraphrased. Each tale is a maelstrom of pain, honesty, trauma, and heroism, written frankly and with blunt language. Doucette discusses the recent history of the Canadian forces to help readers understand the causes of PTSD. This is an up-close and unsettling look at the horrors that come in both war and peace, from the streets of Sarajevo to an airplane crash site off the coast of Nova Scotia. Doucette places a spotlight on those who quietly serve their country, portraying them as both brave and vulnerable. (Jan.)