{"id":26732,"date":"2015-02-12T06:00:14","date_gmt":"2015-02-12T14:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=26732"},"modified":"2017-05-23T10:37:41","modified_gmt":"2017-05-23T17:37:41","slug":"when-helping-hurts-traumas-effects-on-first-responders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/when-helping-hurts-traumas-effects-on-first-responders-0212154","title":{"rendered":"When Helping Hurts: Trauma’s Effects on First Responders"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ThreeFred is a 40-year-old firefighter who has been working as a first responder<\/a> for more than 15 years. In his first year as a firefighter, he arrived at a car accident in which three children were killed. Since then, he has been among the first to respond to the scenes of countless injuries and dozens of deaths.<\/p>\n

Although he tries not to think about the fatalities, he remembers each one. When asked how he and his colleagues cope with the trauma<\/a> of witnessing such horrific events, he looks away, chuckles, and says, shaking his head, \u201cWe joke around and pretend it doesn\u2019t bother us. You don\u2019t want to be the one going to counseling. Everyone would call you a wimp.\u201d<\/p>\n

First responders such as firefighters, EMTs, and police officers face horrors in their work that most of us can\u2019t imagine. In helping everyday people in the worst of times, they witness death, destruction, and much of the worst of what humans can do to hurt one another. A\u00a0recent article<\/a> from The Police Chief<\/em> discusses the importance of seeking professional help for law enforcement officers. Physicians, physician\u2019s assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and other medical professionals are also typically exposed to more human suffering than anyone should have to see.<\/p>\n

The Boston Globe<\/em> published an article<\/a> a few months after the Boston Marathon bombings. It describes the experiences of several first responders whose lives were irrevocably changed by what happened that day. And this article<\/a> in Counseling Today<\/em>, aptly titled \u201cFirst to Respond, Last to Seek Help,\u201d lists the effects of traumatic experiences on first responders and the many barriers to seeking help these individuals face.<\/p>\n

\n\t

Find a Therapist for Trauma \/ PTSD<\/a><\/h2>\n\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\tAdvanced Search<\/a>\n\t<\/form>\n<\/div>\n

Christine, 35, has been a hospital nurse in a children\u2019s cancer<\/a> unit for 10 years. While she can tell joyful stories of the children whose treatment succeeds in overcoming the cancer cells, there are many stories she doesn\u2019t share. While she doesn\u2019t speak about the pain and suffering she has seen, these memories haunt her at night when she tries to sleep. She is beginning to question her faith as she struggles to understand why children and their families have to experience such pain. Most days she cries in her car on the way to work, but she can\u2019t stand the thought of leaving her job. Her supervisor has suggested she go to counseling and she views this recommendation as an insult to her professional skills.<\/p>\n

Part of the problem is the environment in which firefighters, EMTs, police, and medical personnel do their heroic work. The fast-paced nature of their work settings limits opportunity for expressing feelings about what they see. Maintaining a clinical distance between patients and themselves helps first responders and medical professionals maintain their composure in the worst situations.<\/p>\n

But there is a reason those of us who are helpers seek out helping work. We are caring people by nature, and it hurts to see others in pain. While most employers offer counseling through employee assistance programs, first responders and health care providers often feel, as Fred mentioned, that asking for help is a sign of weakness.<\/p>\n

Exposure to trauma is an occupational hazard for first responders and medical professionals, and as such, it is necessary to practice self-care<\/a> and know the signs that trauma is taking a toll. According to the Trauma Center of the Justice Resource Institute, the effects of exposure to trauma are cumulative. The longer one has worked as a first responder, the more likely he or she is to have a reaction to trauma.<\/p>\n

What You Can Do about It<\/h2>\n

There are several great books available to help people who have experienced trauma firsthand. Two I recommend are Trauma Stewardship<\/a> by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky and Compassion Fatigue<\/a> by Charles Figley. Taking time away from work and seeking social support can be helpful. If needed, find a therapist or counselor<\/a> who is specially trained in trauma to help you recover.<\/p>\n

When to Consider Seeking Professional Help<\/h2>\n

According to the Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Institute, a first responder who is experiencing the following symptoms should seek professional help to assess and treat the effects of their traumatic experiences:<\/p>\n