Introduction of the Problem
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health disorder that occurs from “exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violation.” (McCauley 2015) First Responders include police officer, firefighters and EMS workers. They respond to traumatic events daily such as rapes, murders, domestic violence cases, robberies, car accidents, hostage situations and industrial explosions. They are called to help people in their worst moments. They are required to comfort and treat the victims of the violence, but not expected to let the event affect them. The first responders aren’t given time to grieve for the victims and their families; instead they are placed on another call that is very likely to be …show more content…
When someone expresses a problem with a call, they are often told to suck it up and move on. It is a society of invincible people. There is a stigma attached to needing help. Therefore, most don’t seek help. (Erich, 2014) What could have started out as anxiety and been easily treated, manifests itself into PTSD and escalates. PTSD suffers are at an increased risk for suicide, but not all traumatic events result in PTSD. There is more variation than correlation when it comes to who is affected by PTSD and how they are affected. It is believed that some people have a greater chance of PTSD due to genetics. Persons with PTSD usually have some type of personality disorder. Their temperament and personality can affect the way they deal with trauma. Depression commonly occurs followed by substance abuse and sleep …show more content…
The anger and emotional numbness are passed off as coping mechanisms for the trauma and stress seen on almost every call. The sleep disturbances and anxiety get passed off as the job is stressful. The loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy, and isolation get passed off as being tired. Guilt is also involved in most cases. The feeling that if the responder had done something more they could have prevented the trauma from occurring. The EMT could have provided better care. The Fireman could have knocked down the fire better and saved the person inside the house. The Policeman could have arrived on the call faster, and the murder could have been avoided. In all honesty, they probably could have done nothing to prevent the incident from ending the way it did, but they second guess themselves and blame themselves for the outcome. Once they begin blaming themselves for the results of the situation, many will become hypervigilant and on guard as to not let it happen again. The hypervigilance makes them more easily disturbed as far as aggression and irritability. This can lead reckless and self-destructive behavior such as addictions. (Ryder, 2015) Symptoms vary from person to person and depends on what degree of PTSD is being
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health disorder that occurs from “exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violation.” (McCauley 2015) First Responders include police officer, firefighters and EMS workers. They respond to traumatic events daily such as rapes, murders, domestic violence cases, robberies, car accidents, hostage situations and industrial explosions. They are called to help people in their worst moments. They are required to comfort and treat the victims of the violence, but not expected to let the event affect them. The first responders aren’t given time to grieve for the victims and their families; instead they are placed on another call that is very likely to be …show more content…
When someone expresses a problem with a call, they are often told to suck it up and move on. It is a society of invincible people. There is a stigma attached to needing help. Therefore, most don’t seek help. (Erich, 2014) What could have started out as anxiety and been easily treated, manifests itself into PTSD and escalates. PTSD suffers are at an increased risk for suicide, but not all traumatic events result in PTSD. There is more variation than correlation when it comes to who is affected by PTSD and how they are affected. It is believed that some people have a greater chance of PTSD due to genetics. Persons with PTSD usually have some type of personality disorder. Their temperament and personality can affect the way they deal with trauma. Depression commonly occurs followed by substance abuse and sleep …show more content…
The anger and emotional numbness are passed off as coping mechanisms for the trauma and stress seen on almost every call. The sleep disturbances and anxiety get passed off as the job is stressful. The loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy, and isolation get passed off as being tired. Guilt is also involved in most cases. The feeling that if the responder had done something more they could have prevented the trauma from occurring. The EMT could have provided better care. The Fireman could have knocked down the fire better and saved the person inside the house. The Policeman could have arrived on the call faster, and the murder could have been avoided. In all honesty, they probably could have done nothing to prevent the incident from ending the way it did, but they second guess themselves and blame themselves for the outcome. Once they begin blaming themselves for the results of the situation, many will become hypervigilant and on guard as to not let it happen again. The hypervigilance makes them more easily disturbed as far as aggression and irritability. This can lead reckless and self-destructive behavior such as addictions. (Ryder, 2015) Symptoms vary from person to person and depends on what degree of PTSD is being