Because of the stressful and often traumatic work that firefighters and paramedics do every day, some turn to alcohol or drugs to feel better, if only for a little while. Others begin taking prescription drugs for workplace injuries, pain or insomnia, and slowly become dependent on them over time. 

No matter the initial cause, recognizing the signs of substance use disorder early on could mean the difference between a successful recovery and a lifelong battle with addiction.

RESOURCES

https://www.iaffrecoverycenter.com/substance-abuse/signs/

Anxiety

Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life that most people experience from time to time. But when anxiety begins to interfere with one’s ability to function at work or home, it can cause long-lasting physical and psychological harm.

Because of the intensely stressful nature of their work, fire fighters and paramedics may be susceptible to anxiety disorders. Some examples include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder and panic disorder.

RESOURCES

https://www.iaffrecoverycenter.com/behavioral-health/anxiety/

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Depression

Clinical depression is a mood disorder that affects people from all walks of life. For many fire fighters and paramedics, depression is often directly associated with the weight of the job’s daily demands and the traumatic calls they respond to.

There are different types of clinical depression and symptoms can vary from one individual to the next. The IAFF Center of Excellence is committed to increasing awareness of depression and giving a voice to those members who would otherwise suffer in silence.

RESOURCES

https://www.iaffrecoverycenter.com/behavioral-health/depression/

Whether you are experiencing financial successes or failures, personal finance greatly influences your overall health, well-being and productivity.  Financial Wellness is not just about having “enough” money, it’s having a solid plan that creates a healthy work-life balance leading to stronger relationships, marriages, families & confidence in your future.

Achieving Financial Wellness involves budgeting, eliminating debt, saving for emergencies & planning for retirement.  There are multiple resources available from one-on-one financial coaching to investment advice and retirement transition planning. 

RESOURCES

Personal Finance Courses:

Financial Peace University

Local Financial Coaches:

Craig Phillips 541-914-9894 (LPFF/ESF Member)

Find a Coach or Web-based Coaching

Registered Investment Advisors & Retirement Planning:

Elle Brooks 541-343-6759 (Voya)

Kim Blackwell 541-343-6759 (Voya)

Bridges Wealth Management

Tracy Lampman, CFP(r) 541-687-2221 (VALIC)

Educational Resources:

PERS Educational Sessions

Oregon Savings Growth Plan Workshops

Other Resources:

IAFF Financial Corporation Resources

PERS Online Member Services

Oregon Savings Growth Plan

City of Eugene Employee Benefits

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Moments of grief occur in everyone’s life. The death of a parent, partner, or especially of a child, can cause almost unbearable emotional pain, and knowing how to cope with that grief is important for ensuring that the emotional distress doesn’t lead to depression or cause deeper psychological damage. 

Grief can be caused by a variety of life events, including:

• Death of a parent, spouse, or close friend
• Death of a baby, through miscarriage or other causes
• The end of an important relationship
• Job loss, injury, or other traumatic changes in lifestyle

RESOURCES

Collected here are some of the best online resources for coping with grief and bereavement. Many people suffering from loss have turned to the internet to find help, support, or someone to share their pain with. From professional grief counselors to individual bloggers sharing their own experiences, there is an amazingly supportive community online for those learning to cope with loss. These sites can be useful both for people suffering from grief, and those who offer them support. The sites are sorted by category and listed in no particular order within their groups.

https://www.mastersincounseling.org/loss-grief-bereavement.html

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic, shocking or frightening event. For a fire fighter, this might involve running into a burning home, searching for and rescuing someone, or witnessing the injuries of a victim or victims. 

For some, PTSD begins soon after the disturbing event. For others, it develops months or even years later, often after a triggering incident. This might be something as innocent as seeing a burning candle, hearing children playfully screaming at a park, or running up a flight of stairs.

RESOURCES

https://www.iaffrecoverycenter.com/behavioral-health/ptsd/

In life we are faced with a variety of relationships. Friendships, relationships with family members and marriages all take a lot of work and can face an added strain when you work in the fire service. Schedules, sleep deprivation, and the stress of a traumatic call can all place an added burden on a relationship over a period of time.

Sometimes we drift apart from one another and feel lost in our relationship, wondering how to get things back to how they were. There are many different methods for working on relationships. Whether it is setting aside time for an activity you used to enjoy doing with family or friends or attending counseling sessions with a significant other, taking the time to rebuild relationships will be worth it. It can also be helpful educate your loved ones on what you deal with in your job. Below is a link you can share with your significant other to help them better understand some of the difficulties that they may encounter in your relationship.

RESOURCES

https://www.iaffrecoverycenter.com/5-things-fire-fighter-spouse-know/

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A resilient person will feel pain, anger, sorrow, and fear just like everyone else.  But allowing yourself to leave these feelings and move on to happiness, joy, excitement, and fun is the essence of resilience.  Resilience is your ability to move from difficult emotions of pain and sadness to happiness and joy.  

So how do you build resilience so you can rebound from stressors to a normal state? 1st, is learning self-awareness and understanding your stress.  2nd, is learning how to communicate your feelings. 3rd, is identifying coping resources.  4th, is finding meaning.  Below is a link to the fire-rescue article explaining each of these steps, and other resiliency resources.

RESOURCES

http://www.firerescuemagazine.com/articles/print/volume-11/issue-4/firefighter-safety-and-health/the-road-to-resilience-part-1.html

https://www.iaffrecoverycenter.com/stop-taking-trauma-home/

It can be difficult for on-duty firefighters and emergency responders to get a good night’s rest. Being immediately awoken to attend calls during the night can result in sleep deprivation.

The U.S. Fire Administration teamed up with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), and faculty from Oregon Health and Science University, to study the effects of sleep deprivation on members of the fire and emergency services.

Learn more about the study’s findings in a report and training videos on the IAFC website, including:

• The impact sleep deprivation has on job performance for the fire and emergency services.
• Health effects of sleep deprivation.
• Ways to reduce sleep deprivation.

RESOURCES

https://www.iafc.org/topics-and-tools/resources/resource/sleep-deprivation

Saving lives can be rewarding and exciting, but the emotional burden of working as a fire fighter or paramedic can also become overwhelming. It’s true that it takes a certain amount of toughness to stomach the heartbreaking work that fire fighters and paramedics do, but over time, the weight of witnessing tragedy can become too much to bear. 

In an attempt to cope, some turn to substances , while others develop behavioral health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, or depression. Some struggle with both. In more severe cases, some may even consider suicide. Suicide is a serious problem in the fire service. In fact, more fire fighters take their own lives nationwide every year than are killed in the line of duty.

RESOURCES

https://www.iaffrecoverycenter.com/behavioral-health/suicide-prevention/