Mental health providers for EMS employees.

[bigbaldguy]

Ran across something interesting while doing a Google walkabout. I found a therapist that specializes in treating FD and EMS folks. After looking a little further I also found mental health folks who specialize in treating people who work in health care. For instance one therapist only treats nurses. I find this fascinating as it never occurred to me that mental health providers would be specialized by their patients profession. Makes sense I suppose because even though the symptoms might be the same the triggers might be very different.

So my question is. Previous to reading this post were you aware that there were mental health professionals who specifically treat EMTs and Paramedics?

I'd also be interested to hear what your thoughts are on differences in types of stress a medic or EMT would face as opposed to someone in some other high stress profession.

 

[Achilles]

I have a question, what makes them specialize in ems/ FF? Were they a FF or EMT? Or did they treat X number of FF/ EMTs and they specialize in it.

 

[medicdan]

Very interesting. Thanks. Is there a directory of providers with specialized practices for EMS? How could I find some contact info for a co-worker?

 

[bigbaldguy]

I have a question, what makes them specialize in ems/ FF? Were they a FF or EMT? Or did they treat X number of FF/ EMTs and they specialize in it.

I honestly don't know how they end up specializing. I didn't see anything specific on their profiles that said why they went into these areas of treatment.

I'll see if I can find out.

 

[bigbaldguy]

Very interesting. Thanks. Is there a directory of providers with specialized practices for EMS? How could I find some contact info for a co-worker?

No idea but again I'm willing to research this and find out. I think it's an important topic and something that would be an excellent resource for people here.

 

[Handsome Robb]

We have one that's contracted by the agency I work for. She's pretty cool, knows her stuff for sure. I'm not sure how they specialize in EMS/FD/PD but it's one of her advertising points on her business card.

 

[EMT91]

A CEO faces....:

Deadlines
Employees who try to steal
Financial woes


EMT faces.....:
Walking into a room and seeing a baby bloody and dead.
Finding a man cold, hard, with rigor mortis.
Trying to work a code with family yelling and screaming at them


Not to minimize the stresses of others, but most people outside of medicine do not face such rigors.

 

[medicdan]

A CEO faces....:

Deadlines
Employees who try to steal
Financial woes


EMT faces.....:
Walking into a room and seeing a baby bloody and dead.
Finding a man cold, hard, with rigor mortis.
Trying to work a code with family yelling and screaming at them


Not to minimize the stresses of others, but most people outside of medicine do not face such rigors.

Don't forget making sure the company is doing right for it's employees who are hurting. In some ways, the CEO has the greatest responsibility-- remember their bottom line hurts when they have hurt staff-- or staff unable to perform their duties fully.
They're not all heartless illegitimately born children.

 

[OzAmbo]

A CEO faces....:

Deadlines
Employees who try to steal
Financial woes


EMT faces.....:
Walking into a room and seeing a baby bloody and dead.
Finding a man cold, hard, with rigor mortis.
Trying to work a code with family yelling and screaming at them


Not to minimize the stresses of others, but most people outside of medicine do not face such rigors.

Most people outside of corporate management wouldn't ubderstand the stress of ebing a CEO either

Everyone faces stress, everyone reacts differently and everyone will have a different point at which a stressor will effect them. WItshouldn't be thought about stressin a profession, it should be thought about as stress in the individual person

 

[bigbaldguy]

What about the stress created by

24 hours shifts. Or 36 or 48. Rotating schedules.
Being unable to discuss your day with your partner due to confidentiality rules.
Drug addiction brought on by easy access to narcotics.

These are all things which a non EMS background therapist might not understand. Also for instance with the drug addiction I think many medics would be more comfortable in a recovery group that was made up of their peers as as opposed to random people.

 

[mycrofft]

A good therapist can boil down the issues and get to them matter what. Some are not able to do that due to their own personal issues. I think such specialization might be a means to market services or the therapist has issues to resolve also (badge envy, professional boredom). Of course, it could also be that they are rendered immune from the BS we throw out the first couple sessions such as "I've seen so much, I've been in blood up to my knees", etc.

 

[bigbaldguy]

A good therapist can boil down the issues and get to them matter what. Some are not able to do that due to their own personal issues. I think such specialization might be a means to market services or the therapist has issues to resolve also (badge envy, professional boredom). Of course, it could also be that they are rendered immune from the BS we throw out the first couple sessions such as "I've seen so much, I've been in blood up to my knees", etc.

That's true a good therapist can probably help anyone regardless of their background. As I understand it though part of therapy working is building a trusting relationship with the therapist. I would think having a common ground to start with would facilitate this. Being able to cut through the BS is also a very good point. I've noticed that people in EMS put so much feigned pain on the outside that it tends to mask the real pain on the inside.

 

[OzAmbo]

What about the stress created by

24 hours shifts. Or 36 or 48. Rotating schedules.
Being unable to discuss your day with your partner due to confidentiality rules.
Drug addiction brought on by easy access to narcotics.

I dont think a therapist goes home and tells thier husband/wife about all the messed up garbage he get told day in / day out? Same confidentiality rules

24/36 or 48 are a retarded idea and im glad they are not legal here (though some joints do find loopholes)

Who says that therapists cant get addicted to prescription medication?

In my mind its all splitting hairs. We are not special because we are in EMS and get stressed or PTSD or whatever you currentr mojo is. But anyone who needs help is special because they need help, regardless of career

 

[WestMetroMedic]

I am pretty sure a spousal exemption exists, plus, i trust my wife explicitly.

Back on topic, i think a therapist can specialize in something that they just have a knack for, regardless of background.

I fancy myself to be excellent with mental health patients, not because i have mental health issues or addiction issues, but because i just kinda figured its out. My father is an alcoholic with 32 years of sobriety, but i was never alive while he was drinking. This doesn't make me an expert on that topic, but it gives me a foundation, and i figured ouT what works from there.

 

[Veneficus]

Ran across something interesting while doing a Google walkabout. I found a therapist that specializes in treating FD and EMS folks. After looking a little further I also found mental health folks who specialize in treating people who work in health care. For instance one therapist only treats nurses. I find this fascinating as it never occurred to me that mental health providers would be specialized by their patients profession. Makes sense I suppose because even though the symptoms might be the same the triggers might be very different.

So my question is. Previous to reading this post were you aware that there were mental health professionals who specifically treat EMTs and Paramedics?

I'd also be interested to hear what your thoughts are on differences in types of stress a medic or EMT would face as opposed to someone in some other high stress profession.

Had no idea they existed.

Even more surprising is they make any money.
(not because I don't agree with it, but because of the internal support offered in emergency and other high stress healthcare profesisons)

I don't need psychiatric help, I went to a psychiatrist and he said he couldn't help me...

Ok, joking aside, I was once interviewedby a psych major who was doing a study on PTSD. She didn't share her results with me, but I was in the "people who don't suffer from it in a high stress group" (so much for claiming disability)

Anyway, during the interview, several positive coping mechanisms I use were identified. The most prominent for me is "dark humor" which is their scientific way of saying "you are really messed up laughing at that."

But I have a few other positive coping mechanisms in play too.

Maybe I am just a sociopath, but I don't ever recall being affected for more than a couple of days over a call or a patient, no matter how severe the condition or situation.

Anytime a coworker was identified as having problerms, other coworkers came to his/her aid.

In 20+ years, the only people I have known who killed themselves did so because of family issues, not because of work issues.

People come and go from the entry level positions in emergency and acute care all the time. Some more accomplished ones I know occasionally take a break and do something else.

A very smal few of us make up a hardcore, all our lives, 24/7/365 group. While we can get a little irritable at times, especially after long hours without sleep, food, or using the toilet.

I have even seen providers who needed help after they retired and were not part of the "group" anymore, but they are always welcomed when they visit the FD or the EMS station, or the Hospital.

If anyone here has any insight, I would be interested to hear (but not research myself) the similarities and differences in mental health issues between emergency service workers, professional soldiers/sailors, conscripted soldiers/sailors, civillians in war zones, and civillians in undeveloped countries.

 

[mycrofft]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMIvjTqAKSs

Veneficus, each of those subgroups has a different paradigm about mental health, its societal aspects and how or if to treat.

Almost every culture has a way to get stoned, some for religious purposes only...but is religion a form of therapy for some?

Internal stressors which exacerbate or initiate mental illness or stress reaction syndromes include identification with patients/victims, lack of personal control (big one for military), conflict of internal paradigm/self image with what happens (feelings of failure or violation). There is also physiologic illness, including (in my opinion) preexistent mental illness.

 

[Veneficus]

Thanks for the latest reply, it makes sense.

just to comment on this though...

such as "I've seen so much, I've been in blood up to my knees", etc.

These providers really must refine their technique.

Even in cardiac surgery I have never been in blood up to anything more than my wrists. :rofl:

 

[bigbaldguy]

Thanks for the latest reply, it makes sense.

just to comment on this though...




These providers really must refine their technique.

Even in cardiac surgery I have never been in blood up to anything more than my wrists. :rofl:

Even while kneeling?

 

[Veneficus]

Even while kneeling?

Why would you bend over?

Might hurt your back

 

[Melclin]

A CEO faces....:

Deadlines
Employees who try to steal
Financial woes


EMT faces.....:
Walking into a room and seeing a baby bloody and dead.
Finding a man cold, hard, with rigor mortis.
Trying to work a code with family yelling and screaming at them


Not to minimize the stresses of others, but most people outside of medicine do not face such rigors.

I was talking to a bloke I went through my final exams and scenarios with and he said he spent 7 months getting shot at in Afghanistan and he never felt nervous like he was walking into those rooms to be examined. Give him a choice and I'm sure he wouldn't chose getting shot at, but different things provoke different kinds of stress and I don't think its accurate to judge them all on the same spectrum. He, like all of us there, had spent four years working towards this. The final year as interns on the road. As interns we were constantly judged as paramedics, but also as people, by the quality of the work we did. He, I and many others slowly started to blend our self esteem with our competence. I think its a mechanism to build the kind of confidence you need as recent graduate to command incredibly stressful scenes. I can handle this well because I'm awesome, not because I'm objectively competent at a few skills etc.

To then walk into a room where your competence, now so tightly wound with your confidence and self esteem, was being judged in single concentrated moments was incredibly stressful.

This kind of stress where people associate success and confidence and sense of self is common in many people driven to be successful, especially CEOs.

There isn't enough scotch in the world that would facilitate my dealing with the constant stress of managing a multinational company.

Its just different, not better or worse.

I do agree that there is a certain potential for a post traumatic aspect to our job that perhaps doesn't exist in most, but I don't think thats really what comprises the bulk of stress for paramedics.