With flames from a massive forest fire closing in, young volunteer firefighter Zach Holmes and his partner lay down in the ashes of their backburn, certain that they were going to die. What does it feel like to face your own death as a first responder? Zach takes us through the incredible experience of how he survived this fire. During a 14-year career as a paramedic and firefighter with Cheney Fire Department, Zach faced two more near-death experiences. But his survival had just begun. First responders, front line workers and military veterans are asked to place themselves in imminent danger all the time, often sacrificing their own safety to save the lives of those they are asked to serve. Such a sacrifice comes at an immense cost, as these men and women suffer severe depression, PTSD and substance use disorder. With bravery and deep insight, Zach guides us through his own healing journey from severe PTSD. As a single father of four, he realized he was reacting with irrational anger with his children and in a deep crisis. He tried unsuccessfully to seek therapy and finally in desperation, called his Battalion Chief for help. Together, they were able to locate a support group of other fire fighters and police officers who met regularly with a trauma-base therapist. In that safe environment, Zach began to heal. Zach and I discuss how first responders often suppress their mental health decline, and the imperative of reaching out for help before it is too late.
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Check out these resources from previous podcast guests for assistance with tracking your mental health, and reaching out for therapeutic assistance:
1. Jonathan Wilson and INVI MindHealth have developed an App using smart watch technology to track your daily mental health wellness:
2. From Raul Rivas and his Trauma Behind the Badge podcast episode he shared the inline resource therapy resource:
https://www.lighthousehw.org/
Available on the App Store or on Google Play.
Lighthouse Health & Wellness is an in-hand, on-demand, 100% confidential health and wellness platform available at no cost to our nation's public safety agencies.
Lighthouse was designed to provide your employees and their families anonymous access to your agency's existing health and wellness programs, along with a growing library of the latest educational health and wellness information and tools that have been tailored to the unique needs of those working in public safety.
3. Survive First is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, whose mission is to assist active duty and retired first responders and families who need mental health support from the impact of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and substance abuse. https://survivefirst.us/get-help/
