As we move into 2017 I think about the way EMS was, and how it is today. I find myself wondering what has changed and why? Our culture has evolved. In some ways good and in some ways not so good. This career takes it's toll on all of us. It is an inevitable fact that the things we see have an impact on us, both physically and emotionally. I was recently in a training course that has been established to help front line first responders recognize and respond to psychological injuries within ourselves and our peers. This training is a valuable addition to our arsenal in self care.
My question, and this question was imposed to me recently, is why is it inevitable? Why are we changed by this career? I only had the old school answer of well this is just how it is. When I began my career in EMS there was very little talk of psychological injury or mental health in first responders at all. Many first responders suffered silently, and alone for many years. Some of those people moved on into other fields, and some continued in EMS, untreated, and this untreated psychological injury has manifested in some to make them bitter practitioners that as a defense don't let people close or treat new staff and students disrespectfully. This was not their fault, and when we think about or meet these "grumpy ass medics" we should ask ourselves why are they this way. Is this a years long coping mechanism to protect them from some of the horrifying things they have seen? On the flip side of that some people had many great supports and took care of themselves when no one else would and are still happy and love doing what they do. Does that mean the person who is "grumpy" or suffering silently did something wrong or deserves to be treated differently? Absolutely not. The driving factor behind change is recognizing the way something was done is not necessarily the right way and that evolution is necessary.
When you continue to do things the way you always have, you will continue to get things you have always gotten. It is time for change in 2017, and it is time to understand that those people suffering from psychological injury are just that. They are injured, no different than a physical injury it's just that you can't see it. I have been more cognitive of this as of late and realized that it is important for us to acknowledge mental health awareness and not let the way we did things ruin it.
I was excited for this training that we had and I look forward to having more training down the road as the drive to end the stigma of mental illness in first responders continues to evolve. To all of those people involved in bringing forward these initiatives I want to salute you and thank you for your hard work. Change is slow, and is often resisted, but keep up the effort. If our methods don't change our profession won't evolve. This evolution in our profession is a giant step forward to creating longevity for all of the talented professionals who put their psychological and physical health on the line every day to protect the public at large.
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