I have a lot of friends who provide medical care. First aiders, first responders, paramedics, nurses, physicians...the list goes on. Recently, there has been a lot more information coming out about the safety (or lack thereof) of these jobs, a lot of it focused on emergency responders. It's unfortunate that so little gratitude and support is given to these people. I'm not going to comment on the system itself because I'm not writing to complain about the way things should be. What I want to focus on is PTSD and the major effects it has on those who experience it. As with any other mental illness, this condition is not suffered by "just" a specific group of people (for example emergency or military personnel), and is in no way mild or whining or "focusing on the bad stuff". This is a legitimate and often debilitating condition that unfortunately drives many people to suicide. The Canadian Mental Health Association gives this description of PTSD: "Frightening situations happen to everyone at some point. People can react in many different ways: they might feel nervous, have a hard time sleeping well, or go over the details of the situation in their mind. These thoughts or experiences are a normal reaction. They usually decrease over time and the people involved can go back to their daily lives. Post-traumatic stress disorder, on the other hand, lasts much longer and can seriously disrupt a person’s life." Think of it this way: Imagine a day when something scary happened. You might feel scared for a while or try to problem-solve or have a few bad dreams. Now, imagine those experiences multiplying ten-fold in severity, and being triggered by everyday situations or just happening over and over randomly. Imagine not being able to sleep for days because you're too scared to close your eyes and relive the trauma again. Imagine thinking through the scenario in your mind and desperately trying to understand it, hoping to figure it out so it'll go away. Imagine being scared to leave your home because nowhere feels safe. Now, I don't have PTSD. I do get nightmares every single night, and I spend a lot of time trying to understand my depression so that it'll make sense and I won't feel guilty or responsible for its effects. To this day, I regularly relive my past experiences when things get rough. I want to share a video with you. It doesn't belong to me. I don't own the copyright. I just want to share one of the best TV examples of PTSD that I have ever seen. M*A*S*H is a show from the 70's and early 80's about a group of medical personnel who ended up working for the army in South Korea. It ran for 11 seasons, and I highly recommend borrowing, renting or buying the DVDs (the first couple seasons are comedy gold - in my opinion). The sound is out of sync, the video isn't high quality, and the title is wrong. Just watch from 17:30 to 22:30 for the clip of a doctor who experiences sudden and severe PTSD that he wasn't even aware of. In 2014, 13 Canadian first responders committed suicide - in 10 weeks. That's more than 1 person per week. (See the Global News article here)
I don't like writing about sad or frustrating things, but we can't deny that this exists and that it is dangerous. It isn't another problem to be pushed to the back of your mind to be dealt with later and it isn't something to hide or be ashamed of. Those things are still going to happen, I know that, so please, if you are dealing with this, talk to someone. There are lots of people out there ready to listen and help. If it means you need some time in a safe place (mine is in a blanket burrito, hiding in my closet or under a desk) or need a break from work, so be it. Do what you need to do...just don't do it alone. PUT YOURSELF FIRST. That was, and is, the hardest lesson I have ever had to learn and I still suck at it. That doesn't change the its importance.
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AuthorA volunteer. A dancer. A teacher. An observer. Archives
November 2016
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