Watch this incredible personal account of how one fire fighter emerged from a battle with years of suppressed thoughts and feelings; success over stigma.

The American Institute of Stress https://www.stress.org/how-the-best-handle-stress-3

By Dr. Ron Rubenzer, EdD, MA, MPH, MSE, FAIS 

Chapter Three –

Make Fun of Stress & Smile

It Makes You Look Smarter

This is an article from the Fall 2020 issue of Combat Stress

This chapter will look at:

The New Year has arrived, but for many of us, the impact of 2020 remains.  Finding a way to maintain balance or rebalance yourself is essential – and within reach.  Taking just a few moments for yourself can offer some much-needed relief from the outside world.

The University of Michigan highlighted the following One-Minute Stress Strategies:

Tension release:

True mental toughness means not burying emotions or avoiding difficult conversations

Published on Sep 3, 2020

By Jason Patton

One of the biggest subjects being discussed over the interwebs all across the world lately is mental health, especially as it applies to first responders. A lot of the discussion has been around why we sometimes suggest that people with mental trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a “weakness.” But how do you define weakness? 

When the Backpack Is Too Full

Published on August 10, 2020

Mark Foreman, Psy.D. Mark Foreman, Psy.D.

Co-founder at Mindful Awareness in Public Safety Training Institute (MAPSti)

Suicide of police officers, law enforcers, firefighters and other public safety workers is of real concern amongst the ranks and has been for decades. Yet the real discussion of First Responder / Public Safety Suicide remains a hidden fear. A fear not addressed nor turned toward. It often is actually turned away from.

Self-Care In Traumatic Times

Author: IAFF Staff

August 5, 2020

We are living in traumatic times. Whether it’s the increased spread of COVID-19, civil unrest in your community, financial instability or back-to-school uncertainty, fire service personnel are facing unprecedented levels of stress both on and off the job.

Today more than ever, daily self-care is essential for survival and a powerful buffer against traumatic stress. Prioritize these strategies for self-care today:

Author: IAFF Staff, June 15, 2020

Resilience is often thought of as the ability to bounce back from life’s adversities or to withstand loss or change. Given the high rate of occupational trauma, the inherent stress of the job and the toll on family life, we know that fire and EMS personnel are an incredibly resilient population.

As first responders, we are naturally exposed to a higher amount of occupational stress than the average job. Many first responders are able to effectively deal with this stress by having close relationships in the fire house. This brotherhood and sisterhood provides a bonding and social support system that is important in order to stay psychologically resilient.

Covid-19 has forced us to practice "social distancing" not only at the firehouse, but in our personal lives as well. This new practice may affect our mood and our ability to "bounce back", especially after bad calls.

WCPO Cincinnati

Posted: 6:46 AM, Dec 18, 2019 Updated: 3:00 PM, Dec 18, 2019 By: Whitney Miller, Ally Kraemer

CINCINNATI — Jo Terry will always remember her husband as a great partner, dad and firefighter. Chip Terry, a firefighter with the Covington Fire Department, suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. He loved serving the community, Jo said, but even in his retirement, he couldn’t escape the trauma of the job. He died by suicide in 2017. .