Twenty years ago, it was a big no-no for a firefighter to admit to having anything like Post-Traumatic Stress.
Of course, it’s still stigmatized in many firehouses. That’s a problem.
PTSD can affect anyone, even the toughest firefighter. It doesn’t take being part of a line-of-duty-death or even a near-miss to cause it.
And it can turn a dream career into a long-term nightmare.
Suicides, driven by trauma, now take more firefighter lives than line-of-duty-deaths.
But there are solutions. If you have PTSD and you’ll ask for help, it can be dealt with.
With me today is Captain Chris Moore of the Chesapeake, Virginia Fire Department.
Chris has experienced the darkness of PTSD and recovered from it. Now he works to help others through his department’s Peer Support and Behavioral Health Team.
Chris’s article: My Journey Out of the ‘Darkness’ of PTSD
Article: Firefighters Living with PTSD
Article: Development of PTSD in Firefighters
Article: Recognizing PTSD in Fire Fighters: 5 Warning Signs