RCMP, police, firefighters, EMTs, 911 dispatch officers, physicians, nurses, correctional officers, judges, criminal lawyers, CFS workers and members of the Canadian Armed Forces are just a few of the professions who are at risk for trauma reactions, workplace stress, PTSD and other mental health issues. These individuals are often on the “front line” of situations or exposed to scenes of accidents, human conflict, traumatic events and disturbing sights and experiences most people will never know. Shift work, disrupted sleep patterns and sometimes an unappreciative public can all magnify distressed emotions making first responders and trauma exposed professionals at high risk for depression, anxiety, PTSD, family dysfunction, marital issues, substance use/abuse, toxic stress and negative work site interactions.
I have worked with multiple first responders and trauma exposed professionals and have come to understand the culture, “dark” humour, and mindset of these professional communities. I understand that in order to survive some of what you’ve seen and experienced, you may have learned to box up your emotions and thoughts, or tried to completely segregate your work life from your home life (often at a cost) because you believe your colleagues are the only ones who could possibly understand or “get it.”
While Colleagues may be a great support, they may also send the message that emotional distress is not something to be shared, or even acknowledged. You may also feel that you don’t want to “burden them” because they are going through the same thing.
If you have been exposed to a specific traumatic workplace experience or the cumulative harm of chronic trauma exposure, you may recognize the following experiences:
- Recurrent, distressing recollections of the event, including intrusive thoughts, images or perceptions
- Recurrent distressing dreams
- Flashbacks
- Intense psychological distress when triggers of the original trauma are experienced
- Feelings of detachment or estrangement
- A sense of a foreshortened future
- Irritability or outbursts of negative emotions, including anger, grief, or panic
- Difficulty concentrating
- Hypervigilance
- An exaggerated startle response
- Avoidance of thoughts, feelings, or conversations associated with the trauma(s)
- Traumatic amnesia
- Diminished interest in activities
- Increased use of alcohol or drugs to numb the symptoms.
If any of these symptoms are interfering with your personal relationships, your occupational and/or social functioning, and you would like assistance in moving towards the life you want to live, I can offer you specialized therapy that is meaningful and effective in a safe, non-judgemental, respectful and confidential setting.
I’ve got your back
