Coping With PTSD As A First Responder | HuffPost Reports
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Paramedics, firefighters and EMTs, who often experience work-related PTSD and depression, have significantly higher rates of suicide than the general population. And in many jurisdictions across the country, they aren’t receiving the mental health services they need.
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I feel like shit... I’ve been in this field... over 5 years... 911, IFT, and ER ... lost people.. saved them... I’m still not where you are... hope I never do but I will. It all catches up my brothers and sisters. Thank you for being braver than me
EMS needs a labor Union. We are not compensated for our sacrifices, even compared to others in the chain of survival. Tell me why nurses make 50% more money than paramedics? Tell why people don’t retire, they burn out? Tell me why you’re 40% more likely to kill yourself doing a job that helps people?
Even after mourning a call the thought doesn’t go away and it keeps going until another call takes over. I remember doing compressions over and over hearing his body snore with every single one as his sister, aunt and a crowd of people watched. Whats so funny is I brought him back. It’s a win that haunts me.
Extremely important and vastly underpaid, life savers, thank you.
As a 23 year plus paramedic and someone who has dealt with PTSD for 10 years This wakes me sad. Unfortunately many courses do not train mental health awareness and resilience.
As a retired firefighter/paramedic. I had to choose retirement for my mental health. Just like what they describe some of the things we see. Still haunts me to this day, nightmares, blaming myself for some of the lives I couldn’t save. Blaming myself for not able to save a life, cuz I’m trained and payed to save a life. Even though I knew deep down, I can’t save everyone. Have gotten letters from loved ones, that they don’t blame me, but as a first responder trained and is supposed to save a life but failed. That haunts and tournament me, was on the job for 20+ yrs. My ptsd was so bad that I couldn’t step foot in the firehouse.
@Thomas Slatin these are the things that the public don’t see us struggle with. I signed up to make a difference, to help and be there for people. But little did I know how much it’s affected me. I don’t regret a single day or a minute. And yes I do think about it every day, what could I have done differently and if I have done it differently or the orders I gave or didn’t give. Could it have save that person’s life. All the what if’s we are left with. Is the mental struggles a lot of people don’t see and won’t understand.
Sad how in America ambulance officers are paid so little, in my country when qualified it's a 6 figure job. I guess there is so many people in America.
Great insight to a rewarding Career, but quite sad that EMS crews are taken for granted, it's underplayed, but what iv noticed is the long shifts, for me I'd rather have less shift hours than more pay, and focus more on my life balance, which would save on burnout, you can gain more money in this field but this won't prevent burnout unfortunately
Well I'm not giving you a job to do first responder by getting myself in trouble cop or harmed EMT. What Cha gunna do when you don't have control over me to hurt me and I call cops on a bully?
Lost my first patient today , im still doing compressions involuntarily when i get inside my head... trying to understand how others cope because im not giving up, I am going back , i have to go back ... but its been a hard day
I'm sorry man, stay strong; we're only human and we cannot save everyone. I hope you were able to get back into the job and help those who need you.
Man I fell you. Been in this job 1 year and watched 6 people die. Its a tough ass job especially with the rona but never loose focus on why you joined and the good you do and the difference you make
I am not a first responder, just a person in the right/wrong place at the right/wrong time.
What I saw and what I touched did not bother me. It was watching another human being suffer for more than an hour. 9 years ago and I still don't know how to talk about what happened because I've never met someone I can can connect with who truely knows what's its like to experience what I did
It's a very lonely feeling.
Covered in blood from head to toe, and the police put me in my car and told me to drive home. And that was it, like the story disappeared with me that day.
God bless you
I applaud everything that was shared in this video. There was one section, however, that rubbed me the wrong way. While I’m not a first responder, I have an up close, and intimately personal relationship with ptsd and suicide.
Every person reacts to ptsd and suicidal ideation in different ways. But hearing the lady make comments about ‘don’t drink, don’t do drugs cause they don’t help’ and then she added in about having acupuncture and getting massages plus exercise, drink water, sleep well, yadda yadda.
Those are the politically correct comments I’ve come to expect from people who think they have an insight into these issues yet have never experienced it first hand.
Folks, you gotta get rid of the flower-power, life is sunshine and roses mentality when you address these topics!
Address the real emotion! Address the rage and frustration these scenes cause! Address that there is nothing wrong with questioning how our world got to this point... how did these victims get to this point... how can there be an all powerful god with these things happening!
There’s also no shame in giving yourself time to deal with the really harsh situations. You may find that suddenly your own kids suddenly require more patience than you feel you have. You may look over at your spouse and have thoughts about knocking them in the head if they even attempt to initiate sex. It’s okay to look at this person you love, and for the current time, that smile that used to be so cute now just annoys the hell out of you!
Prioritize life in these times! No one is going to be emotionally scarred if the laundry doesn’t get done today. No one is going to be insulted because you don’t feel like cooking a gourmet meal! “Hot Pockets” here we come!!
The absolute worse thing you can do is ignore it. Push it away. I promise it’ll end up biting you in the ass sooner or later! Feeling what you’re feeling isn’t wrong... it’s human! You’re allowed!
Nice comment! The just do some yoga made me cringe a little bit. Substance use is a really big issue in trauma tho
That woman, is an EMT for 20+ years and a certified counselor in both PTSD and specifically PTSD in First Responders. She has had an independent practice for over 5 years and had an entire career in the County Mental Health Agency.
Timo Schmid Thank you! This is a topic that so many people need help with but are too afraid and embarrassed to share their feelings. The more up front, raw honesty regarding these things, the better!
I acknowledge everything youre saying and its valid, but also, the things this very experienced person said that you took issue with are actually proven effective. They arent the cure-all because there is no one thing that's a cure-all. They are many mechanisms that do work because we store trauma and emotions in our physical body bc of our chemicals/hormones. Exercise and yoga release these stored chemicals allowing us to work through the emotions. Theres never going to be a scenario where drinking and drugs resolve mental health issues. Your point and her point are valid. Effective mechanisms isnt flower power just like ineffective mechanisms isnt the answer.
Tried blinking-eyes diiferent at A TIME, UNTIL ALL THE IMAGES GOES AWAY & FEELINGS
Thank You!
💖
you left out police officers, they are first responders as well. And their job, not from experience, is harder.
Mitchell Balentine , agreed. I’m trying to ascertain where this video originated from. I have a lot of concerns watching this. I think it’s fantastic that these individuals are willing to disclose their mental health status to the world.
Not a great blanket statement there... I agree, police officers are absolutely subjected to horrific events on the job and their tasks are very difficult. However, deeming one job as "harder" without having any experience in either field is, for lack of a better term, ludicrous. Go take an EMT volunteer position for a few months and tell me how that goes. Have you ever seen a dead male body swaying from a limb with a rope wrapped around a neck? How about a still-barely-living man's skin hanging off the front of his face after a triple fatality accident in which the windshield ripped his flesh from his facial musculature? Or four children littered across the road after their mini van was T-boned by a semi? A woman stabbed over 39 times in the face and chest? I've had thousands of calls and these few things aren't even scratching the surface. And I AM speaking from experience. Please have some respect for all first responders. Strong relationships do exist between police, fire and EMS, and I highly doubt our police officer friends would encourage this type of thoughtless disregard against their fellow responders who don't share their title as police officers.
@@haley4745 I Shall be a volunteer First Responder in the next month. I'm not ready to see what I must. However, In order to provide the care and what I need to do to serve my community. I will sacrifice my life and put myself on the front line. I have so much respect for you Haley and I appreciate you for all that you've done. I will, very soon be on the field. Thank you for your dedication and sacrifice my brother/ sister. Peace to you. Mend well.
They are all hard in their separate ways.
Police have significantly easier jobs than EMS.
Firsttt