User:Chanda10/Trauma and first responders

'''After reading Trauma and First Responders on Wikipedia I must have misunderstood the assignment and gotten it confused with the learn to edit part. So that on one hand was educational even on accident. I really enjoyed the Wikipedia article on Trauma and First Responders. The article was Very direct and well versed, seemingly accurate. I like how it named different types of first responders by title and explained what the duties are. The cognitive behavioral therapy was my favorite Diagnosis area of explanation. Mostly because every first responder at some point faces a traumatic experience some may be worse than others. Personally mine was having to cut a high school graduate out of a car two days before her ceremony and the car engine was in her lap, you could see her cap and gown in the back seat. She was severed in half from the severity of the accident. My job provided me with a temporary counseling session because it upset me so badly. That part of the wiki article really hit close to home for me. The article is in depth and very explanatory to different ptsd disorders, job titles, and what is expected of a first responder. Chanda'''

Types of trauma
In their line of work, first responders are exposed to a variety of graphic and grim circumstances and events, some directed at them and some directed at others. Examples of personal attacks may include being shot at, assaulted, or threatened. Examples of circumstances involving others include exposure to sexually assaulted children, domestic violence, watching someone die, or seeing mutilated remains.[3] '''Because of this, first responders endure field specific trauma. Around 5.9-22% of first responders end up being diagnosed with Psychological trauma. Side effects and impacts from this can be physical, mental, or behavioral. This job field is high risk, with the daily exposure of severe incidents.[2] "Psychological trauma is a person’s physical and psychological response to experiencing, witnessing, or being confronted with events(s) that involve actual or threatened death, serious injury, or threats to the physical integrity of the self or others that result in intense fear of helplessness."[2]'''

Stigma and underreporting
Due to the stigma associated with having a mental health disorder among first responders, individuals at these jobs tend to under report symptoms to avoid judgment by peers and supervisors, demotion, or a decrease in responsibilities at work.[2][19] On average, "about one in three first responders experiences stigma regarding mental health."[2] Other barriers associated with under reporting are a lack of knowledge of where to receive treatment, scheduling concerns, and fear regarding confidentiality.[2]

"A good example is that if a first responder is wearing a backpack, after each traumatic experience they add a rock. Eventually, the back pack will start to get incredibly heavy sooner rather than later. The idea of this is how much can someone carry, is the load heavy or light? First responders tend to not seek help, they carry and carry until they can no longer carry the weight/stress. Some first responders suffer from severe-critical incident stress. The rock metaphor describes the weight and load each first responder carries through the length of their careers. Some loads are heavier than others but none the less they all carry weight.” [1] ''

Treatment
Psychological therapies

'Psychological therapies are usually recommended first in people who have PTSD that requires treatment. A mixture of a medication and psychological therapy may be recommended if you have chronic, severe or persistent PTSD. A doctor may refer you to a clinic that specializes in treating PTSD if there's one in your area.[3]'

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) focuses on the memory of a traumatic event. EMDR follows a structured eight phase process:[8] •	Phase 1: History-taking •	Phase 2: Preparing the client •	Phase 3: Assessing the target memory •	Phases 4-7: Processing the memory to adaptive resolution •	Phase 8: Evaluating treatment results

'''It involves making side-to-side eye movements, usually by following the movement of your therapist's finger, while recalling the traumatic incident. Other methods may include the therapist tapping their finger or playing a tone. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a relatively new treatment that's been found to reduce the symptoms of PTSD.[3]'''