As Canadian veterans don pressed uniforms and polished medals this Remembrance Day, many others from more recent wars will be staying at home.
鈥淩emembrance Day is rough,鈥� veteran Jim Lowther of Halifax, N.S., told 麻豆影视. 鈥淚t is a tough day for me.鈥�
After 15 years of military service, which included two tours in Bosnia, Lowther now suffers from PTSD. Despite pressures to attend Remembrance Day ceremonies, most years he just stays home.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the crowds and noises鈥� it鈥檚 really tough.鈥�
Aaron Bedard barely survived his tour in Afghanistan, when an anti-tank mine left him with traumatic spine and brain injuries. Despite coming from a long line of Canadian Armed Forces veterans, he only began to understand the pain of November 11th after he served.
鈥淭hat day, reminding you of people who you saw get killed, friends you lost -- for a lot of us, it is more than they can bear,鈥� the Chilliwack, B.C. resident told 麻豆影视.
Bedard now hosts an online video podcast where he advises and advocates for veterans. But when Remembrance Day arrives, Bedard and his veteran friends often prefer to escape.
鈥淕et out into nature鈥� go do some fishing, go climb a mountain鈥� go do something positive for themselves," Bedard says he advises them.
Missing Remembrance Day events may cause some guilt, but attending can also often lead to unwanted flashbacks and debilitating pain, one expert says.
"They are going to struggle the rest of that day, the coming week, perhaps the rest of the month," Dr. Greg Passey, a veteran and a psychiatrist told 麻豆影视.
Poppies themselves -- the symbol of remembrance -- can also serve as triggers for those who served in places like Afghanistan.
"We were walking through poppy fields, being shot at," Cpl. David McDonald of The Royal Regiment of Canada recalled in an interview with 麻豆影视.
To many, those fields -- used by the enemy to produce opium and heroin -- brought only fear and death.
Despite counselling and support, McDonald, still isn鈥檛 ready to attend a Remembrance Day ceremony.
"I have my own way to remember my buddies," McDonald said.
With a report from CTV鈥檚 Peter Akman
