An operational stress clinic for Canadian soldiers opened at the Royal Ottawa Hospital Monday to give troops suffering from mental health disorders access to treatment close to home.

"Whether it's Afghanistan or not, you see things and do things that just change you, change who you are, change how you react," said Cpl. Geoff Moore, who served in Afghanistan and is dealing with an operational stress injury.

"I have a hard time leaving the house or there's days when I probably couldn't even be here," he said.

Those who suffer from operational stress injuries say the disorder is a shadow that darkens the lives of many who've served overseas.

It's something that takes its toll not only on soldiers, but also on military families who carry the burden of war as they help loved ones battle demands of the mind.

"He wakes up in the middle of the night with nightmares and you've got to re-orient that person and make them understand -- you're safe at home but you almost feel like you're taking on the job of raising a person back to who they're supposed to be or who they were when they left," said Kristen Singleton.

Bright paintings and light colours help create a relaxing atmosphere at the new treatment centre, which is designed to serve veterans, members of the Canadian Forces, eligible RCMP members and their families.

The Ottawa clinic is the newest military treatment and support centre to open across the country, bringing the number of government-funded operational stress injury clinics to five. By fall 2009, Veterans Affairs plans to have a national network of 10 clinics.

"This clinic provides (veterans) with the help they both need and deserve," Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson said in a prepared statement.

The war in Afghanistan has spurred the Canadian military to make huge efforts to accommodate those who have suffered mental wounds from the war.

But even with new investment, some say a wound to the mind is not treated the same as a wound to the body.

"Because we don't carry a cane or we're not sitting in a wheel chair, we're not sick. For some people, we're malingerers," said Patrick Sudrau.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Norman Fetterley