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Jen Chouinard, Saskatoon social worker, starts PTSD support group

A Saskatoon social worker who specializes in trauma cases is setting-up a support group for people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after recently experiencing her own struggles.

Jen Chouinard, 29, works with many clients in the health region who are in crisis. She said she has frequently dealt with situations involving the death of a child or child abuse.

A few months ago, she said she started experiencing symptoms of what she thought was a burn-out. For example, images from work would stay in her mind long after she left the office for the day.

Chouinard took some time off for a vacation in the fall, but in December, she went through a series of family emergencies. When she was back at work in January, she said she worked on a few more cases that were highly traumatic. And then she noticed major gaps in her memory.

"It was terrifying," she said.

She would look at old text messages and not recall events that happened just a few weeks earlier.

"I am in the field of crisis and trauma I know what can come of these situations," she explained. "I definitely at that point went, 'OK, I need to look at how I've been affected'."

Chouinard shared her story with Saskatoon Morning host Leisha Grebinski. She sought out treatment with her doctor and took time off work.

She was diagnosed with PTSD in early February. Some of her other symptoms included disrupted sleep and nausea.

"There were nightmares," she said. "I was waking-up and panicking."

Chouinard has been working with a psychiatrist and taking some medication.

She says there isn't one particular factor that triggered her PTSD. But she is allowing herself more time to process the emotions she feels from her work.

"I knew it was possible for anyone to get it," she said. "But in my mind it was a still very much a military disorder, a disorder that tended to kind of stick with first responders and military people and was less so a threat for community members."

As she recovers, Chouinard has decided to set-up a support group for other people who might be going through the same experience. She said she hopes it helps people work against the tendency to isolate themselves.

"I went through a few weeks of just not wanting to leave the house," she said. "Just getting there for us, just breaking down that barrier of isolation is going to be victory."

Chouinard said her colleagues and employers have been very supportive, and she's recently returned to work.

The support groups start in the middle of March. For more information email: ptsdsaskatoon@hotmail.com.