Military and First Responder Trauma
Few experiences can compare to the honor and sacrifices required of those who choose to serve their country and community. The profound sense of duty is the same motivation that will lead a soldier into battle, a firefighter into a burning building, a policeman to stand between an assailant and the innocent, and a medic rushing to the injured over and over again.
While training and experience can prepare these modern-day unsung heroes to carry out their responsibilities day after day, there is little preparation for the effects this type of repeated exposure to trauma has on an individual.
Oftentimes, many in these professions struggle with questions such as, “Why them and not me?”, “Did I do enough?” or “It should have been me.” Some are overwhelmed remembering the images of the horrors they have witnessed, and certainly, there are those who feel they cannot escape the places and times they wish they could most forget.
No man or woman was created immune to human suffering, and our brains are built to try and protect us from reliving these experiences. Unfortunately, repression, suppression, and compartmentalization can only get you so far before, eventually, these traumas begin to manifest themselves in other ways, such as unexplained anger, aggression, depression, anxiety, headaches, and other physical ailments. At its worst, repeated trauma exposure can also lead to flashbacks, paranoia, disassociation, and suicidality.
