Trauma and PTSD in first responders

First responders are people who are on the front lines during emergency situations such as firefighters, police officers, EMTs, emergency dispatchers, and those in the military service. Due to their work they frequently witness traumas such as death, losing a co-worker on the job, natural disasters, and people in life threatening situations. In addition, they often have to place themselves in dangerous situations and may at times fear for their own lives. As a result, they are at a higher risk for developing post traumatic stress disorder. This is not surprising as PTSD can result from experiencing a trauma where you fear for your life or witnessing a trauma where someone else is in fear for their life. Symptoms of PTSD include:

• Altered beliefs about other people, yourself, or the world around you. For example, developing a general mistrust of others.
• Re-experiencing the trauma through night terrors or flashbacks.
• Avoiding things or people that remind you of the trauma.
• Hypervigilance or always being on alert for danger.
• Emotional numbness.
• Anxiety, guilt, hopelessness, anger.
• Angry outbursts.

It can be difficult for first responders to acknowledge that they are experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder for several reasons. First, there is an expectation in the culture of these jobs that one is not impacted by the job or that one is “tough enough” to handle the job. Second, when first responders disclose what they are experiencing to individuals who hold positions of authority in their profession they are often met with a suck it up attitude rather than compassion and empathy. Third, they may fear losing their job if they share what they are experiencing. Fourth, the general stigma surrounding having a mental health concern can prevent them from coming forward. This stigma may also be internalized. For example, a firefighter may think they are weak for having flashbacks of a fire where someone died.

If you are a first responder and you are experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder please know that this does not make you weak it makes you human. Posttraumatic stress disorder is a normal response to being repetitively exposed to terrible and horrific situations. Therapy can help you develop additional coping skills and address trauma through cognitive processing therapy.