Commander Deanna Wilson entered the military over 26 years ago when she started her career with the Navy. Deanna lives with post-traumatic stress disorder as a survivor of sexual misconduct during her service. She is now a Diversity and Inclusion Officer, advocating for compassionate leadership, gender equity, and safety within the CAF.
Videos
We should be able to talk about all of our feelings
Learning to reconnect and to rehumanize in order to heal
I have found some very supporting leaders within the military
Help is out there but sometimes it’s hard to find
Learning to use language that will validate someone’s experience
It’s not just wars that hurt us
Trauma support that helped me
It took time and reflection for me to be able to wear my military uniform again
Recognizing and addressing trauma
Being open about my own mental health has helped others
Speaking our truth about mental health
Showing emotion takes courage
How group therapy helped me to heal
Finding myself as an individual within group therapy
There’s no prescription to becoming whole again
Tapping into resiliency
I took a pause and found my strength
I felt betrayed by the military institution
Acknowledging that I had PTSD saved my life
There’s judgement and stigma about mental health within the military
Normalizing conversations about mental health in the military
Believing and supporting those who have been sexually assaulted
Talking about how we are feeling rather than holding it in
