First Responders PTSD Therapy

First Responders PTSD Therapist

Are you are First Responder with PTSD and looking for help? Our First Responder PTSD therapy can help. PTSD, or posttraumatic stress disorder, is a serious concern facing many first responders. Our first responders are those who are typically the first on the scene when disaster strikes. They face highly charged and stressful situations dealing with critical incidents on a daily basis. These essential workers are key players in our communities; we often take for granted that they will be the ones facing danger when others will not and risking life and limb so the rest of us do not have to. We have extensive experience providing First Responder PTSD counseling services and are here for you.

What many of us do not realize is the extreme physical, emotional, and psychological stress that such occupations place on those who regularly face such challenging circumstances on a regular basis. Research clearly shows that such exposure to severe stress puts this population at much greater risk to mental health disorders like posttraumatic stress disorder compared to the general population when it comes to suffering from problems related to their occupations, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

First Responders Suffering From PTSD

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), PTSD is having a severe impact on first responders all across the United States. Our law enforcement officers, fire fighters, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and even their dispatchers, are experiencing record cases of PTSD, particular with the additional stress of covid, riots in the streets, and turmoil everywhere we have all witnessed over the past year.

In early 2021 there were already more than 140 police officers who had died by suicide in the current year alone. In fact, both police officers and firefighters are more likely to die this way than in the line of duty, and far too many increase the other risk factors of being on the jobs when they self-medicate with alcohol and other substances in order to cope with the stress they are dealing with on a daily basis.

Many of these individuals regularly experience exposure to death and destruction; no wonder PTSD and depression rates among them are nearly five times higher than the civilian population. Not only can helping people through personal tragedy take a toll on the mental and physical health of our first responders, but because many on the “front lines” seldom have time to recover between calls before being exposed to the next traumatic event, the problem only compounds itself over time.

Unfortunately, too many will not seek help because the stigma of struggling with mental health issues within fire and police departments still hinders people from doing so. Instead, many report turning to alcohol or other substances in efforts to cope with the constant pressure from the public, their department, the long shifts, and the other challenging aspects of their jobs.

First responders (police officers, firefighters, public safety and security personnel, EMTs, paramedics, and disaster relief workers are not the only ones vulnerable to this type of trauma. E.R. physicians, nurses, and other medical services personnel who treat traumatized patients are also vulnerable to acute stress, psychological stress, behavioral health, mental health, and traumatic stress disorders.

Signs and Symptoms of PTSD in First Responders

PTSD symptoms can include:

  • Nightmares
  • Flashbacks
  • Hypervigilance, startle response
  • Emotional numbness
  • Extreme anxiety, guilt, anger, or hopelessness
  • Avoidance of people, places, or things that are reminders of the traumatic event
  • A loss of interest in things that once gave pleasure
  • Feeling on edge, jumpy, irritable
  • Sleep disorders (insomnia, restless legs syndrome)
  • Substance use disorders (using alcohol, drugs, or food  to self-medicate)

Those with PTSD report intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings of dis-ease and unrest. They feel restless and often suffer from flashbacks of their experiences. They report feeling hypervigilant and “on alert” all the time. Many experience suicidal thoughts on a regular basis, though they may not disclose these thoughts to others. For this reason there is a lack of social support for these individuals, and higher rates of alcohol use in the average first responder.

PTSD Symptoms Described

A flashback is much more than just a memory or “intrusive” thought; it is much more intense because it is as if you are actually reliving the memory in that moment, complete with all the sights, sounds, smells, and emotions that occurred at the time of the flashback event. For that reason,  avoidance of any reminders of whatever triggers a flashback is common; it is also important to understand they can be so distressing for the person experiencing one that it is easy to “lose touch” with the present until it passes.

Sleep disorders are also common in those with PTSD. Nightmares of events that took place days, weeks, months, or even years before are common. Nightmares can be distressing, to say the least, to the extent that those suffering from them will avoid falling asleep to keep from having them. This cycle of disrupted sleep can so exacerbate the problem that it leads to other physical and psychological health issues.

Hypervigilance is a state of heightened alertness or extreme sensitivity to the environment. Someone who is hypervigilant feels on edge and is ready to react to any potential threat or danger – even when there might not be one. The problem is that living in a constant state of alarm can lead to exhaustion, lassitude, and physical, behavioral, and mental health problems, including:

  • Chronic pain
  • Headaches
  • Digestive disorders
  • Paranoia
  • Social isolation
  • Substance use disorders
  • Anxiety and depression

Relational distress in the workplace and at home is common, especially when chronic sleeplessness or substance abuse is a problem. Rather than seek mental health services, too many choose to “go it alone” and try to “ride out” the symptoms; unfortunately, the brain does not heal from the effects of psychological distress so easily. Prolonged exposure to trauma can create a permanent change in the brain that leaves lingering effects until the trauma is healed – that’s where I come in!

Depression and anxiety disorders are also common in those with PTSD, as are the physiological signs and symptoms that accompany it. Increased heart rate, tremors, and elevated blood pressure are also commonly reported. Some studies have shown that there is an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke in this population as well.

Brain Structures Involved in PTSD

This is not surprising, as the body and brain are so intricately related and what happens in one most certainly impacts the other. As a neuropsychologist, I am especially interested in the brain’s response to trauma and have spent years researching and teaching this to my students as well as my patients.

In those with PTSD, the structures in the limbic system of the brain are especially impacted by trauma. The limbic region is important in emotional processing and is the part of the brain that contains the amygdala, the guard shack of the brain. It deals with emotions, memories, and arousal. It is especially responsible for fear-related emotions, survival instincts, and the perception of other emotions such as anger and sadness, as well as the control of aggression.

Also included in the limbic region is the hippocampus, which stores and retrieves memories, regulates motivation, emotion, and learning. The amygdala and hippocampus pair together to teach us about our world: during highly emotional events, the amygdala is essential for input and processing of emotion, while the hippocampus is essential for memory of the event. Together, they interact to translate emotion into memory with meaning based on specific outcomes.

In PTSD, the problem is that the amygdala works overtime and can cause strong emotional responses to even harmless events by those that are only remotely similar to the traumatic one it reminds the person of; this occurs because the brain has been “conditioned” by trauma (called fear conditioning).

Treating PTSD

Yes, there is hope and help for your posttraumatic stress symptoms! Traumatic memories can be healed and you can have your health back. The key is allowing someone who understands this very complex disorder and how it impacts first responders to come alongside you and help.

First, talk to someone with expertise in this area.  PTSD should be diagnosed by a doctor (psychiatrist or psychologist) who has experience treating it. Next, be open to making some necessary changes to getting your symptoms under control.

There are a number of treatment available, including medications that that greatly minimize your hypervigilance, anxiety and depression, and sleep difficulties. SSRIs are most often prescribed to help increase levels of serotonin in the brain, for example. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger in the brain) responsible for a variety of functions, including regulation of mood, sleep, and appetite. Having enough serotonin will help you feel calmer, less anxious, more focused, and more emotionally stable.

Help and Support

Those with PTSD obviously want to alleviate the distress that their symptoms cause them, but nothing helps more than realizing that denial will not make the problem disappear. Treatment does exist and can help you or your loved one cope.

Medication helps, but medication without someone to help you sort through your thoughts (“talk” therapy) is not nearly as effective as the combined two. Help and support is certainly available when you are ready to receive it. I have spent well over 20 years working in this area and understand how to work with the unique challenges you are facing. It would be my honor to come alongside you and help you find some relief at last.