Tips on How to Ask For Help
We may all reach a point in our lives when carrying a particular burden becomes too unbearable. Yet upon reaching this point, we may find that we are hesitant to tell anyone we are struggling or that we need help. For many reasons—including not wanting to let go of control, feeling ashamed, feeling needy, or […]
Taking Care of Your Wellness: 5 Factors that Can Contribute to Poor Heart Health in First Responders
First responders have some of the highest rates of heart-related health issues including heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest. The average age of a police officer who has suffered a heart attack is 49 years, while the average for the general population is 64.7 years, according to research conducted by the IACP. Similarly, nearly half […]
Navigating the Winter Months
Winter weather can bring about dangerous conditions. First Responders often attend emergencies on the most treacherous roads, drunk driving, or fighting fires caused by fires or heaters as the temperatures drop. Through tough and critical, winter may bring unique risks and challenges that can add what feels like a pillar of pressure. When conditions are […]
How First Responders Can Find Balance During the Holidays
Emergencies do not stop for the holidays, and neither do First Responders. As a public safety professional, working through the holidays while trying to maintain your family life, personal health, and social life may feel like juggling more than you can handle. As a result, you may find yourself attending more to one over the […]
Tribal Healing: How Peer Support Impacts a Generation
This article is courtesy of Patrick McCurdy, Retired Sergeant/Deputy. I remember as a kid marveling at the fact that I was going to see the year 2000, and the turn of a new century during my lifetime. Now, we are almost a quarter of a century into this new era. Though technology is changing at […]
Be Mindful of Negative Coping
We all experience emotions and events that are uncomfortable, painful, or traumatic. Those moments or circumstances often cause lingering thoughts and emotions that must be dealt with one way or another. At some point, we may engage in numbing behavior to put off having to process unpleasant feelings. That behavior may look different for everyone […]
Suicide Intervention
Many people are not sure what to do if they think someone they know might be thinking about suicide. Be direct. Ask the question. Let them know you care. In addition to this article, you can also watch a short video about suicide intervention. Go online: https://rb.gy/sky6k8. First Responders are more likely to die by […]
Bringing Moral Injury to Light
First responders make sacrifices to serve their communities, sometimes to the detriment of their own mental health. Mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress injury occur at higher rates among first responders compared to the general population. These issues can often lead to dangerous and unhealthy coping strategies, such as substance abuse. […]
Helpful Grounding Techniques You Can Use to Manage Anxiety
Anxiety is the most common form of mental health issue in the United States, overlapping significantly with substance use disorders. The National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions surveyed more than 43,000 people and found that nearly 18 percent of respondents who struggled with a substance use disorder in the past year also had […]
Avoid the Consequences of Lack of Sleep
As a first responder, you may be used to hearing that you need to get some sleep. A job like yours requires extensive mental and physical energy with the potential to wear you out by the end of the day. Therefore, it will require that you get sufficient rest to be adequately prepared for the […]
