A publication dedicated to the well-being of firefighters across North America and beyond.
It’s very difficult having so much responsibility. What is yours? What is not? For all the lives and property you save, for all the people you help, it is often that one that you couldn’t save, or whose outcome was dire, that brings guilt into your heart. It’s hard to shoulder the weight of having someone’s life or livelihood in your hands.
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When was the last time a significant other said, “You treat the general public better than you treat me?” Ouch. And the follow-up to that question is this response, “They pay my salary!” Well, it is a fair question, and depending on who the significant other is, it might carry much more significance. However, I do not endorse that response as it carries a lot of pain and anguish.
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In 2020, a significant health awakening prompted me to address my nervous system before my symptoms and overall health deteriorated any further. In my search for tools and strategies to regain my well-being, I discovered a self-care gem: Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE®). After just a few sessions with a certified provider, I felt a remarkable improvement in my well-being. This experience inspired me to become an accredited provider and share this incredible tool with other first responders.
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Do you have a “lizard brain?” Well, you sort of do. The more primitive parts of the human brain — the brain stem, cerebellum, and basal ganglia — are shared by lizards and humans.
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It took a lot of trial and error with a big emphasis on the error part, to figure out just who I would be when I finally grew up. Along the way, I had many obstacles to overcome.
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As a trauma therapist who works with First Responders and Front Line Workers, I get a unique vantage point and the opportunity to hear what is really coming up for those of you serving on the front lines. Consistently, one of the complaints I hear about involves the ways in which access to support tends to be reactive and the ways this misses the mark.
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Firefighters are often seen as brave and heroic individuals, but they face numerous physical and psychological challenges every day. Unfortunately, this can lead to dismissive behavior amongst firefighters and, in some cases, the use of substances as a way of coping.
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What is continuous therapeutic management? This is an advanced approach to combating the physiological and cognitive disparities that firefighters put their bodies through. This is the method for addressing the issues that firefighters face and provides an actionable process if implemented for decreasing dual hazards faced by firefighters.
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We’re all adults here, aren’t we? Or are we? Do you sometimes think your partner behaves like a spoiled child? Might they describe you the same way? Do arguments that start small quickly escalate to shouting matches, crying and stony silences?
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Firefighters risk their own lives and health at work while trying to serve the public. Over the course of a career, firefighters will be exposed to many traumatic incidents, and those exposures can add up over time and cause increased stress.
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