Every September, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recognizes September as recovery month in efforts to provide education about mental and substance use disorders and bring awareness to the fact that people can and do recover! The theme for recovery month is "Join the Voices for Recovery: Invest in Health, Home, Purpose, and Community."
Family members and loved ones of fire fighters have one of the most important roles in the fire service - being the support to someone who spends his/her time saving others.
An awesome news article was released today highlighting CBS News' recent visit with the IAFF Center of Excellence. The article showcases the Center of Excellence's resources for members seeking help with substance abuse, PTSD, and other behavioral health issues!
Or, view the following video.
In a recent white paper published by Ruderman Family Foundation (Heyman, Dill, & Douglas, 2018), it was revealed that firefighters and police officers are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty.The research paper provides statistics for firefighter and police suicides within the past year in comparison to line of duty deaths for each population. More specificially, the paper focuses on trauma exposure and some common resulting consequences, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicide, if left untreated.
It is not abnormal to feel impacted by the things that you see in your line of work. In fact, it is absolutely normal to be impacted in some way by many of the things you encounter. Here is one first responder's experience with his work, experiences, and his realization that he was suffering with PTSD.
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/30/132476507/first-responders-rescuers-face-p...
Mental health refers to a person’s psychological and emotional well-being. A person’s mental health can be impacted by biological, environmental, and social factors. Thus, just as with physical health, one’s mental health is not guaranteed to be the same at all times.
Take a look at this easy-to-read article on PTSD prevention & treatments.
I'm a Firefighter with PTSD...Now What?
If you need more support, please contact the Peer Support Program, Dr. Butler, or D. Kruse. There is hope and recovery and we are here to help you!
