So I'm 23 years old without much direction or idea where I want to go in life. I've been going to college on and off for 3 years, taking classes only to finish the quarter and start working full time again due to lost interest or lack of direction. Rinse and repeat.
I've taken a number of classes from a variety of subject areas, from economics, to political science, cultural anthropology, astronomy, human biology, and on and on. I took a 10 credit EMT class for the hell of it, for elective credits, and because I thought it looked interesting. Didn't do anything with it, no NREMT exam. Just took the credits and went home.
In a conversation with my cousin, a lawyer, I was asked "What class interested you the most?" My reply was EMT, by far. No contest. I looked forward to that class every day. He then said "Well, why don't you do that?"
So I've been thinking, possibly I should. What made me think twice about it is this: I have Bi Polar 1 and OCD. Granted, I respond pretty well to medication, and I get pretty stable and stay that way. But I understand EMS can be very stressful, and while I am not worried about being unable to do the job, I am worried about accumulated stress and its effect on my emotional well being.
I spoke to my doctor about this. He's worked with police and firefighters, treating them for stress induced anxiety and PTSD, so he knows a thing or two about the stresses of EMS. His biggest concern with me is sleep deprivation. He's seen me at my worst and thinks I can handle the stress so long as I am sleeping. I understand that sleep is a foreign concept to EMS providers. He recommended that I try to work 12 on 12 off instead of 24's, if such a thing is possible.
I don't know. I know that some EMS providers are uneasy about working with people with mental health issues. Let me know what you think. I'm going to retake the course and try to get certified anyway. I have nothing better to do. Right now I'm working a horrible job in a factory and the tedium is almost unbearable. Any thoughts on how I could make this work would be appreciated. Or just tell me that I shouldn't even try. It's just too bad that I'm going to anyway
I've taken a number of classes from a variety of subject areas, from economics, to political science, cultural anthropology, astronomy, human biology, and on and on. I took a 10 credit EMT class for the hell of it, for elective credits, and because I thought it looked interesting. Didn't do anything with it, no NREMT exam. Just took the credits and went home.
In a conversation with my cousin, a lawyer, I was asked "What class interested you the most?" My reply was EMT, by far. No contest. I looked forward to that class every day. He then said "Well, why don't you do that?"
So I've been thinking, possibly I should. What made me think twice about it is this: I have Bi Polar 1 and OCD. Granted, I respond pretty well to medication, and I get pretty stable and stay that way. But I understand EMS can be very stressful, and while I am not worried about being unable to do the job, I am worried about accumulated stress and its effect on my emotional well being.
I spoke to my doctor about this. He's worked with police and firefighters, treating them for stress induced anxiety and PTSD, so he knows a thing or two about the stresses of EMS. His biggest concern with me is sleep deprivation. He's seen me at my worst and thinks I can handle the stress so long as I am sleeping. I understand that sleep is a foreign concept to EMS providers. He recommended that I try to work 12 on 12 off instead of 24's, if such a thing is possible.
I don't know. I know that some EMS providers are uneasy about working with people with mental health issues. Let me know what you think. I'm going to retake the course and try to get certified anyway. I have nothing better to do. Right now I'm working a horrible job in a factory and the tedium is almost unbearable. Any thoughts on how I could make this work would be appreciated. Or just tell me that I shouldn't even try. It's just too bad that I'm going to anyway