Almost two years ago, Cpl. Chris Dupee of Barrie posted a gritty video about the anguish caused by post-traumatic stress disorder.

WARNING: Some language is offensive in the video.

The 31-year-old, married father of four talked to the Star about the aftermath of serving in Afghanistan, his website Military Minds, and how the video changed his life. This is an edited version of that conversation.

Are you still in the military?

I work out of Downsview (Joint Personnel Support Unit, which is the Canadian Forces arm that co-ordinates mental health treatment and prepares soldiers to transition into civilian life). I’m setting up to go to school and study social work. It kind of goes hand in hand with what I do.

How long did you serve in Afghanistan?

I served in 2008 and 2009. No injuries.

What happened after?

I got PTSD. I was on base in Petawawa. I did my decompression there. Then I got posted to Toronto. I asked for that posting. It was a big mistake.

Why?

Everything is completely different. If I were to take you and put you on a base, you would think we’re all lunatics because we’re a different breed. You’ve had to become desensitized to normal stuff that you would be sensitive too. You take one of those people out of that base and pop him into Toronto, and everything you’ve known as normal is not normal anymore.

Can you explain further?

People will look at you like you’re a freak. You’re laughing at stuff you shouldn’t be laughing at. You’re just different. It became a bit of an issue. You segregate yourself and fall into a hole. It was a big shock. I got lost.

What were your issues with PTSD?

You think the nightmares, the sweats. With me, they weren’t my issues. Mine were fitting back in. I wasn’t able to vent as much as I could, so when I did, like punching a hole in the wall, it was that much worse, and my wife and kids were there.

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How did that go over in the family?

Try to explain to your kids. I had to lie to them. I had to tell them there was a spider on the wall. It’s bad. The repercussions of PTSD in a family environment are catastrophic.

How do you feel about leaving the military?

I love the military. There is no anti-military bone in my body. I don’t regret anything about it. It just sucks how it’s ending. If I don’t have what it takes to represent my country as a good, healthy soldier, then why do it?

How did the YouTube video, the one of you talking about PTSD, come about?

It wasn’t meant to be. I started a mobile power washing company . . . for washing cars. I don’t do any power washing anymore. We were doing a charity car-wash event for a different charity and my wife’s friend asked her if I would like to do a video about it to drum up support. So, I said yeah. We went to shoot the event and on the way back I started talking about PTSD and my issues. He asked if he could start filming what I was saying. I said OK.

How did you react?

Later on that night, I went back to his house and watched him edit and it looked like it was going to be a PTSD video. Lo and behold, the next day, he showed me the final cut, and it was all about PTSD. I was very apprehensive. There’s such a stigma that goes along with it. I’m labelled now. After a while, I just said, screw it. In the first day, I got 1,000 hits. I was never used to that kind of attention. I couldn’t sleep. I was buzzing, ya know. It’s snowballed since then.

Why is your website and Facebook page now getting media attention?

Nobody has told our story before and how we came about.

How is your website able to help?

We’re not in competition with our organizations. We’re not reinventing the wheel. We’re connecting people with those organizations. You need a dog here? Wounded Warriors is hooking up dogs. You need paperwork done? I’ve got a connection in the Legion. We’re that little bridge, that gap.

Any who are suicidal?

We often get suicidal messages on Military Minds. What we have to do is an intervention. We work with the local (police) to find where that person is. We find out where they are. We’ve got a tech guru on our team and find out where they are. We’ve held many interventions.

You’ve saved lives?

Absolutely. It usually ends up with that person ending up in the hospital for a few days and getting assessed. But you know the point is the guy is still breathing.