First responders are the people we call when we are in trouble, like when there has been an accident these people are the ones trained to handle a situation of crisis, but we often neglect their health as we are too busy thinking about ours. Everyday people like these strive to fight depression and the stress that their job comes with, after all, they face different kinds of trauma in a week than what an average person would his whole life time. Mental health has always been an issue among fire fighters and other first responders that other people often overlook.
One of the most common mental health issue that is faced among these group of professionals is first responder ptsd or posttraumatic stress disorder. As a result, the number of suicides among people form this kind of profession is constantly rising.
Gaining knowledge about what post traumatic stress is about and how it can affect people who suffer from it is vital to help these professionals be treated, also, gaining knowledge on how a fire fighter operates, thinks and copes should be done as well. It’s hard getting treatment, especially when you are alone which is why a lot of firefighter support groups are available. This is a very good opportunity to have others with you along the way.
Here are a couple of the benefits of joining fire fighter support groups:
Emotional Bond and Support
It’s hard to talk about your feelings to people who say they understand what you are going through even if they don’t, there is more emotional release and bondage when you share it with people who have been in the situation as you, this makes you feel accepted in the group rather than feeling alone and isolated form family and friends who don’t understand you. Society has stigmatized people who are ‘different’ from the norm, therefore people who have this condition also feel stigma against their own condition, but because of the welcoming and reassuring environment they are in, they feel more open to the people they are with. Support group is a great way to have people who share the same experiences as you, making you have a special bond with each other.
Exchange of Valuable Information
Since you are all geared to achieving the same goal, you can provide and share information regarding resources or medical information to help you overcome this emotional and psychological hurdle, people often refer to this as the most important part of joining a support group.
Coping Abilities
There are different coping skills, and the coping skills of every individual is unique therefore sharing them in a group may be beneficial to others as well. There may be different coping strategies that you haven’t tried or thought about yet that others have used successfully when they have been in your situation which can help you go through what you are going as well. The more people to help you, the more they improve their individual problem-solving skills as well. Please click here to find support groups for problems related to stress and others.
Fire Fighter Support Services 