When That Call Happens

No one ever knows when it will happen. We can usually recognize that we are starting to have a problem, but we never know what will be the trigger that draws us into the darkness. Every one of us has a call that has stuck with us, most of us have several. Occupational stress injuries and PTSD have come to the forefront in Front Line Emergency Services over the past several years and I for one am truly glad that it did.

For years there was a mind set that we were required to be tougher than the average human. There was an expectation that regardless of what call was done, a Front Line Emergency Services person would "suck it up" and get back to work. There were calls to be done and there was no time to sit around and process the situation we were just in. When a Front Line practitioner does not get this opportunity the emotions that are felt on that call are pushed inside. They are buried with the thought, "I will deal with that later." This becomes problematic, because as the shift continues on, calls keep happening, there is paperwork to do, there are meetings to have, and there is education to be done. What did we do then, we continued to push it down and said to ourselves, "I will deal with this when I get home."

At the end of the shift, we head home, we are tired, we are carrying our day or night, and as we walk through that door we are greeted by those people or animals we love the most. We push those feelings deeper and concentrate on that time with our loved ones, before we go to bed. Once that day is finished and that call is buried deep inside we get up and we go to work the next day and as usual we are busy. So we sort of forget about it and think it is dealt with. This could not be further from the truth.

As this process repeats itself over and over again, the hole we push these feelings into fills up. For some it fills quickly, for some it takes many events, and many years to manifest. When it manifests though, it shows up slowly at first. Irritable behavior, maybe showing up late for work once in a while. Often people start to indulge a little too much, booze, smoking, gambling, yes even promiscuous behavior. These are warning signs that you need to pay attention to. These signs are almost like an early warning system to say, "hey friend, you need some help.."

If these signs are ignored, and the attitude of, "I'm fine, I don't need help." takes over, these signs become worse. The Front Line Emergency Services person starts to get more complaints, misses whole tours completely, lashes out at friends, and co-workers, lashes out at family members. These signs are a clear indication it's time to get help. This is the way it used to work which left so many people with deep scars that were never properly dealt with. I can assure you this had devastating results for some people, their families and their Emergency Services families.

Our new method of thinking, and practice, though slow in it's growing, is a vast improvement. Normally now Front Line Practitioners are given that time to decompress, even if it is busy. They are offered peer support from Critical Incident Stress Management teams, there are employee resources within every facet of Front Line Emergency response. This is to ensure people have access to better help and treatment after critical events. What does this do? It allows the practitioners to decompress, deal with their personal feelings, deal with each other's feelings and hopefully process the situation and allow the stress of the event to be greatly reduced. These resources will also  help to recognize early symptoms and allow the practitioner to get into the treatment they need.

If you are reading this and you are a Front Line Emergency Services Practitioner, Police, Fire or EMS, and you recognize any of these signs or symptoms please reach out. Reach out to a peer, a friend, a supervisor, reach out to me through my blog. The results of untreated Occupational stress injuries, or PTSD can be devastating. All of you are heroes, and you are all amazing, selfless and the world is a better place because of you. You are not indestructible though so please don't suffer in silence, you are NOT alone, we all have demons. Take the first step, and reach out for help. If you notice a colleague that is acting different, don't be afraid to approach them and just ask. Someone did that for me once, and it may have saved my life. Let's be safe out there, and watch out for one another. Please like and share this post if you found value!