The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
Dealing With the Things We See
I haven't been to alot of really bad scenes, in fact it has been a few years since I have seen anything really bad. So I was wondering if anyone had any advice as to how to deal with what was scene today.
- Attachments:
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Ron King (Fire Chief) on
-
This is a very hard thing to deal with you will see things in your life that will never leave your mind. Its good to talk to friends. Also think about the good calls that you did help out. And also the funny ones. We our human and it will touch our feels. Friends and prayers work wonders.
-
Permalink Reply by Norm Tindell on
-
Joe, I've heard that if you can remain detached emotionally as if you're watching a movie or a video instead of reality it helps. Usually we are concentrating on our work so hard we don't have time to think about the emotional aspect of it until after it's over. Then, like the rest of the guys have said, talk it over with the rest of the crew. Don't ever feel guilty. Don't second guess your actions. Tell yourself you did the best you could under the circumstances. Everyone has their own "top ten worst scenes." I keep playing some of mine back, but I never lose sleep over them.
-
-
We've got a guy at a neighboring dept whose personal license plate reads, "KABOOM." He's got a similar t-shirt.
-
Permalink Reply by Joe Workman on
-
gun shot wound
-
Permalink Reply by Station10Capt106 on
-
Each and every one of us deals with stress in different ways. The key is to find out what your thresholds are. You may not know what your thresholds are until you reach them so you need to know what signs and symptoms to look out for.
Stress warning signs and symptoms
Cognitive symptoms
• Memory problems
• Inability to concentrate
• Poor judgment
• Seeing only the negative
• Anxious or racing thoughts
• Constant worrying
Emotional symptoms
• Moodiness
• Irritability or short temper
• Agitation, inability to relax
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Sense of loneliness and isolation
• Depression or general unhappiness
Physical symptoms
• Aches and pains
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Nausea, dizziness
• Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
• Loss of sex drive
• Frequent colds
Behavioral symptoms
• Eating more or less
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Isolating yourself from others
• Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
• Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
• Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm
Now, just knowing the signs of stress does not mean that you know how to deal with them. As most have already said talking is the best therapeutic remedy for most of us. Talk about what you have seen with those who have responded with you. Discuss any emotions or feelings you have (don’t get stuck in a macho-man attitude). Many people turn to their faith like Ralph said. Talk to your minister or clergy member. They deal with death and dying quite a bit and may be able to offer some insight or consoling.
If needed seek further professional help. There is no sense letting an incident keep eating away at your insides. The long-term effects can be devastating to you both professionally and personally.
Some of the things we see never go away from us. We see the worst of the worst and have to jump in feet first to render aid. In stressful situations we are expected to be the experts and know what we are doing. This places tremendous pressure on us at times. Remember to also reflect and concentrate on the good things that we have been through. Picture the face of a happy child as you hand them a teddy bear for being such a good child while you treat their bee sting, remember the look of a grateful homeowner as you hand them their treasured family pictures after a house fire. We need to constantly offset the stress and bad things we encounter with positive aspects of our job.
-
Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on
-
That you are just as warped?
-
-
pretty much says it all right there
-
-
Oh great... now I have memory problems, not being able to concentrate because the whole subject post was just so... negative. It makes me feel very... what's the word? anxious, yea that's it. Geez... At first I was only worried about racing... now... what was I saying?
-
-
that's kind of like the old saying, "it's not who wins the game that's important, it's where you go afterwards for pizza..."
-
Permalink Reply by T.J. on
-
I've seen a lot and when I was younger I thought this stuff was not for me but after working with our senior ff's and seeing how they deal with it I found my own way and thats believing in God and just letting stuff go because what we see is not normal but someone has to do it.
-
Permalink Reply by Roy Walker on
-
I recently read a negative comment addressed to FFN and was pissed when it was said they didn't come here any more because they were tired of hearing from the know it alls all the time. Now I answer to the best of my ability,some times right sometimes wrong, but when I read an article like this one that runs over with good quality information from those who have been there (some waaaaaaaaay too long) and we see the reason we are here. You would be hard pressed to get better information any where thanks to all who have our backs,EVEN RALPH andBZ.
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Next ›
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
