After witnessing a traumatic incident while working as an RCMP officer, Elenore Sturko turned to alcohol to cope with her PTSD. The incident has informed the MLA’s push for better care for people with mental health and addiction issues.
Elenore Sturko can still hear the cries of the mother who watched her son jump to his death 14 years ago.
“Someday, I wish I could let that mother know that her son’s life means something,” Sturko told Postmedia News from her office in the legislature. “If I can make any changes to improve the situation for families and people with mental-health issues, I will feel that I have put some meaning into that incident in my life. Because, it was very impactful. It had ripples that affected more than a decade of my life.
However, Sturko said she’s heard from families who have pleaded with medical professionals to certify their loved one because they were at risk and the individual was sent back home because there were no available beds. In the situation with the mother and son, the man convinced doctors at the hospital he was no longer suicidal.
When she had trouble sleeping at night, she’d drink. The 47-year-old mother of three eventually got to a point where she was drinking two bottles of wine in an evening. The alcoholism didn’t affect her relationship with her wife of 15 years, Melissa, because Sturko believes the drinking quelled her anger and numbed the trauma.
“This is not a drop in the bucket. This is a giant wave, a tsunami of a huge health problem and it’s having tremendous ripple effects,” she said. “So that’s why we need to close those gaps and make sure we’re providing services to people whether it’s a voluntary service or whether it’s something that, in the right circumstances, isn’t voluntary.”
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
B.C. Liberal MLA opens up about her recovery and why she supports compassionate involuntary careAfter witnessing a traumatic incident while working as an RCMP officer, Sturko turned to alcohol to cope with her PTSD. Here\u0027s her story.
Read more »
B.C. Liberal MLA opens up about her recovery and why she supports compassionate involuntary careAfter witnessing a traumatic incident while working as an RCMP officer, Sturko turned to alcohol to cope with her PTSD. Here\u0027s her story.
Read more »
P.E.I. Green Party MLA Karla Bernard seeking nomination for Charlottetown-Victoria Park | SaltWireCHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Charlottetown-Victoria MLA Karla Bernard is seeking re-election for the Green Party of P.E.I. nomination for District 12. Bernard ...
Read more »
BC Liberals underline support for harm reduction after MLA tells Chinese audience otherwiseB.C. Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon says he wants clients better steered toward treatment after MLA Teresa Wat said they are against ‘so-called safe injection sites’
Read more »
Alberta police watchdog investigating after RCMP shoot Calgary woman following car chaseA Calgary woman is in hospital after a Mountie shot her during an altercation that followed a car chase on Sunday afternoon.
Read more »
ASIRT investigating after RCMP shoot Calgary woman following car chaseA Calgary woman is in hospital after a Mountie shot her during an altercation that followed a car chase on Sunday afternoon.
Read more »