Month: December 2016

A Corrections Officer’s Recovery Story

I sat in a jail cell for three days in July of 2016. I had received yet another DUI as well as several other criminal charges. My alcoholism and drug use have caused me significant pain and suffering for my entire adult life. However, the prior year to this arrest things has completely spiraled out of control. Within the span of 12 months, my addiction had caused me to lose or harm everything important in my life; my marriage, my career, my relationship with my child and numerous health issues. As I sat in that jail cell, all I was ... Read more

The Damage from Organizational and Administrative Stress

Do you remember your first job? I am willing to say you probably encountered situations and people that made you say, “If I ever am the boss one day, I will be sure NOT to do that!”. We all have experienced positive and negative work environments. One of the most common complaints is that once a person gets promoted, they forget what it is like to be on the lower rung. In any business, stress can become the everyday norm when the overall tone of an organization is dysfunctional. Of course, this leads to additional stress and discontent across all ... Read more

Working As A Firefighter With PTSD

Working As a Firefigher With PTSD –  Smoke in the air.  The blaring alarm.  Every firefighter knows the rush of emotions that fill the heart when it’s time to roll.  Excitement.  Anticipation.  Fear.  Is this the Big One?  Is today the day my number’s up? However, in the gung-ho fire environment, too often the feelings that haunt us are pushed down to the bottom.  Nobody wants to look weak in front of his or her teammates.  Nobody wants to be “that Guy”.  So we repress, force a grim smile, and get back to work.  The things we’ve seen stay with ... Read more