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I have been retired from #Paramedicine for almost 2 years. This weeks snow triggered a "Flashback." Pushing a grocery cart thru snow triggered a memory of fighting a stretcher thru the snow while aggressively treating a critical patient. For everyone Flashbacks 1/12
I have been retired from #Paramedicine for almost 2 years. This weeks snow triggered a "Flashback." Pushing a grocery cart thru snow triggered a memory of fighting a stretcher thru the snow while aggressively treating a critical patient. For everyone Flashbacks 1/12
are a normal part of life. Usually wonderful memories of experiences shared with family/friends. 1st Responders have those same memories, but added are the memories of the tragedy, pain & suffering of the patients we have treated. A flashback can be triggered 2/12 #BellLetsTalk
by smell, sight, sound, passing a intersection, house, business, park that a call took place or a homemade "memorial" placed on the side of the road. Suddenly you are returned to that tragic event, complete with all the sights, sounds, smells, emotions that 3/12 #BellLetsTalk
were experienced at the time. The same as most peoples flashbacks of a happy memory brings back the feeling of joy, happiness, the warmth of a touch from a loved one. In both types of flashbacks the experience is real at the time. For the 1st Responder their 4/12 #BellLetsTalk
Flashback may also bring back the feelings of anxiety, stress & fear if they were at risk or threatened during the call. To reduce the harmful effects of Flashbacks, we as a profession must instruct our rookie Paramedics & 1st Responders that these negative 5/12 #BellLetsTalk
flashbacks will become a part of their "new normal." We cannot expect that a person with a caring, helpful, community service orientated personality will not be adversely affected by a career based on repeated exposure to pain, suffering & tragedy. We must 6/12 #BellLetsTalk
provide the tools early in their career, so they have the resources to reach retirement. I have learned, my negative Flashbacks, although real at the time are still a memory. A memory of the things I have done and seen in my 37 year career as a Paramedic. They 7/12 #BellLetsTalk
are momentary and fleeting. I have also learned to live with these memories, knowing that at the time, I was the person trying to help when others could not, I did everything I could to change the outcome of the tragedy and sometimes everything I did, was not 8/12 #BellLetsTalk
going to change the outcome. The greatest lesson I have learned is to talk. Let those closest to you know you experience Flashbacks, explain they are normal, caused by your actions in your profession. At the same time, we ourselves must come to terms & accept 9/12 #BellLetsTalk
our past experiences. Flashbacks can become a serious problem and adversely affect our well being. Some warning signs; if the flashbacks increase in frequency, or become fixated on a single event, triggered without warning, or unable to distinguish between 10/12 #BellLetsTalk
flashback and reality. Reach out for help, gone is the stigma of weakness and failure. Realize, we are "Never Alone!" Others are experiencing what you are & want to help. It is the cumulative exposure to tragedy that leads to Critical Incident Stress ( #CIS) & 11/12 #BellLetsTalk
#PTSD.
My apologies for this long winded thread, normally I would make this a blog on my webpage. Today is #BellLetsTalk and Bell will donate 5 cents for every post using this hashtag. So please retweet & help raise awareness and funds to support mental health! Thank You. 12/12
My apologies for this long winded thread, normally I would make this a blog on my webpage. Today is #BellLetsTalk
and Bell will donate 5 cents for every post using this hashtag. So please retweet & help raise awareness and funds to support mental health! Thank You. 12/12
