Tag: depression

The Damage from Organizational and Administrative Stress

• John Becker
• Categories: First Responders
• Tags: American Psychiatric Association, chronic stress, Compassion Fatigue, Cumulative Stress, dealing with ptsd, depression, diagnosed with PTSD, difficulty sleeping, first responder ptsd, Frontline, Frontline Responder Services, gastric ulcers, Law Enforcement mental health, Law Enforcement officers, law enforcement stress, police mental health, Police stress, post traumatic stress disorder, practice self-care, PTSD, ptsd trigger, seeking help, Three Kinds of Stress, treatment for ptsd, type of stress, vicarious traumatization
• December 28, 2016

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

• Frontline
• Categories: First Responders
• Tags: behavioral disorder, chronic stress, Cumulative Stress, dealing with ptsd, depression, diagnosed with PTSD, difficulty sleeping, Firefighter, Firefighter ptsd, firefighter trauma, first responder ptsd, first responders, Flashbacks, Frontline, Frontline Responder Services, gastric ulcers, increased heart rate, Mark Lamplugh, post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, ptsd trigger, research on ptsd, seeking help, substance abuse, traumatic event, treatment for ptsd, type of stress
• December 14, 2016

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

Firefighter Stress: Manage It so It Doesn’t Manage You

• Frontline
• Categories: First Responders
• Tags: and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, anxiety, chronic stress, danger or job-related stress., depression, EMDR, Firefighter Stress, firefighter wellness, firefighters binge, Firefighting, Focused Stress-relief Strategies, Inadequate training, Managing Stress, mirror eye movements, Performing physical exercise, personal danger, Poor leadership, psychological distress, PTSD, REM sleep phase, Rough calls, Shift work stress, Sleep Deprivation, stress-reducing therapies, Stressful Career, symptoms of debilitating stress, The U.S. Firefighters Association, unhealthy coping strategies
• November 29, 2016

Firefighter Stress: Manage It so It Doesn’t Manage You All firefighters can identify a reason that sparked their initial passion for becoming a firefighter—to serve their community, to save people, to work as part of a team, to become part of the station house brotherhood, or something else. That reason turns into a passion that supersedes any fear of danger or job-related stress. Firefighting: The Second Most Stressful Career When comparing vocations with the highest stress levels, those that top the list involve some kind of personal danger. CareerCast (The Most Stressful Jobs of 2016, n.d.) studied stress factors with regard ... Read more

Living in Danger: Getting Paid to Go to Prison

• John Becker
• Categories: First Responders
• Tags: accountability partners, American Psychological Association, chronic stress, Coronary Artery Disease, Corrections Officer, Critical Incident Reviews, depression, diabetes, Firefighter, First Responder, Heart attack, High blood pressure, John Becker Jr., Law Enforcement Officer, Paramedic, PTSD and corrections officers, Stroke, struggles of Firefighters, Sudden mood swings, trigger PTSD
• November 22, 2016

If you have a job as a First Responder, whether it be as a Law Enforcement Officer, a Paramedic, or a Firefighter, you start each shift with the understanding that it could be your last. The risks of injuries and even death are increasing in alarming numbers for each of those professions. But as a firefighter, you get the luxury of being surrounded by supportive coworkers, taking turns cooking meals, and having your own secure place to train and relax between calls. As a paramedic, you get the fulfillment of seeing new life enter the world, you get to help ... Read more

9-1-1: The Dispatcher Is in Distress

• Frontline
• Categories: First Responders
• Tags: • Constant anxious state, Change in sex drive, chronic stress, Compassion Fatigue, Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project, Cumulative Stress, dealing with ptsd, depression, diabetes, diagnosed with PTSD, difficulty sleeping, Dispatching emergency teams, first responder ptsd, Flashbacks, Frontline, Frontline Responder Services, gastric ulcers, hypertension, impact of stress, increased heart rate, Indirect Stress, Journal of Traumatic Stress, Mayo Clinic, migraines, Muscle tension or pain, National Traumatic Stress Network (NTSN), practice self-care, PTSD and severe stress, rontline dispatchers, Secondary Trauma, Signs and Symptoms of Stress, Signs and symptoms of trauma, substance abuse, Three Kinds of Stress, traumatic event, type of stress, vicarious traumatization, weight gain
• November 7, 2016

9-1-1: The Dispatcher Is in Distress Every 9-1-1 call begins exactly the same. The dispatcher answers the call and calmly asks what the emergency is. The response from the caller is usually a frantic, distraught voice of someone who needs help right away. For the length of the call, the emergency dispatcher is the voice of calm that assists the caller in managing the crisis until help arrives. Behind the soothing voice, adrenalin is pumping full force, as the dispatcher struggles to find the balance between hope and fear. A 2014 report by the Office of the Auditor in the ... Read more