One of the best-kept secrets of police services is that the men and women who have dedicated their lives to serving and protecting the public are falling apart at the seams. But often they are often too scared or too broken to tell their stories. Young RCMP officer Deanna Lennox courageously ends the silence around the high incidence of occupational stress among first responders, and chronicles the events that eventually pushed her mind, body and spirit to the breaking point. At a time when there seems to be a new scandal involving the RCMP every few weeks, Deanna Schmaltz's story is a courageous portrayal of life in the force as seen through the eyes of a young woman who entered it with the highest ideals and will leave it next spring having been broken and traumatized. The unusual twist in her story is not only found in the gripping portrayals of high-speed car chases, drug busts, or undercover work as a prostitute and how these experiences effected her, but in how a horse helped her heal the psychological wounds of an angry and bitter cop. A chance meeting with equine therapy trainer Chris Irwin at his Riversong Ranch allowed Deanna to begin to confront her depression and PTSD. The book chronicles this momentous change, and also the steps Deanna took to reach out to others in the first responder community by creating the War Horse Symposium. The annual event at Chris Irwin's ranch provides an opportunity for first responders (police officers, firefighters, soldiers, ambulance personnel, corrections officers, social workers) to come together to confront their occupational stress injuries. Damage Done is a revelation and a call to action. Lennox's goal, with both the War Horse Symposium and this book, is not to expose but to inspire

Lennox, Deanna

William Collins Sons & Co. (Canada) Ltd.

Totem Books, Collins Publishers

Canada - English Language, Canada

An unflinching portrayal of how one idealistic young RCMP officer battled her way through job-induced trauma, anger and disillusionment by turning to horses – and how her path to healing helped her reach out to other first responders
The first responders and other front line service providers who serve our country and our communities with courage and dedication have been suffering in silence. Studies and statistics show that they experience catastrophic rates of divorce, alcoholism and depression, but they often are unable or unwilling to tell their stories or find the resources they need to help themselves. In 2014, the silence could be held no longer when over the course of three months, 15 first responders across the country committed suicide.
Former RCMP officer Deanna Lennox courageously shares her own story of job-induced trauma, anger and disillusionment and reveals the events that eventually pushed her mind, body and spirit to the breaking point. But this is a story not only of high-speed car chases, drug busts and the author's time posing undercover, but more importantly, what came after – how an angry and bitter cop's relationship with a horse helped her heal the psychological wounds she incurred in the line of duty.
Damage Done chronicles Lennox's momentous change and the steps she took to reach out to other first responders by creating the annual War Horse Symposium, a forum to discuss occupational stress injuries, and the non-profit charitable organization the War Horse Awareness Foundation. With the symposium and with this book, Lennox aims to inspire rather than to blame and to add her voice to an emerging conversation about how to protect those who put themselves on the front line for us.

2026-02-11