Photo by Steve Baer | FireDog Photos
Dr. Virginia Loewenstine, CEO and medical director of Tristate Preventive Health, answers your questions
Q: How do I know if I’m OK after a difficult call or run? Is there a formula to follow or questions I should be asking myself?
A: Difficult calls or runs have an impact on the person who responded, even if that person believes they didn’t. Everyone reacts differently on the surface but inside, the mind and body react the same.
There is no formula to follow. You may feel fine and as if it didn’t bother you only to find yourself being irritable, anxious, sleepless or depressed within days or even months after the run. Not being yourself, especially when others notice this, can be a big warning sign your body is still reacting to the hidden memory of the run. This needs to be addressed immediately with the help of a mental health professional.
Over time, the accumulation of experiencing difficult runs can cause your body to say, “I’ve had enough,” and unexplained anxiety and other medical and psychological conditions will become apparent. The key to avoiding these later events is to talk to a mental health provider soon after the actual run. However, no matter the amount of time that has passed since the run, it’s not too late to seek help, even if you believe you’re fine.
Many fire departments have mental health professionals on call to meet with responders soon after the run while others have mental health professionals who meet with individual firefighters on a regular basis. There are many types of treatment that will keep the memory just as a memory without your body reacting to the memory.
Regardless of if you think you need help or not, meeting with a mental health professional after a difficult run, or proactively on a regular basis, is key. The book, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD, is an excellent resource.
