While veterans and first responders have been trained and prepared to engage in extreme situations, many pieces of training don’t address the post-response mental health needs. For instance, they may receive inadequate training on how to seek help if they are struggling with mental health challenges, or there may be a culture of if a mental health challenge exists, opportunities may be reduced.
Many first responders are not provided resources to cope with their feelings healthily. If they do seek help, they can feel alone due to a culture of not asking for help. It is important to understand that this could not be further from the truth. First responders and veterans deserve the same level of compassion and availability of mental health services and resources as everyone else.
How do I cope with mental health challenges?
Fortunately, there are things that veterans and first responders can do to cope with their mental health outside of medication and speaking to a mental health professional. For instance, there are free podcasts, YouTube clips, and community resources that can be utilized. The following skills—acknowledge the event, accept support, avoid rushing the process, journal the experience, and focus on well-being—can also be utilized.
Acknowledge the event
This step can be incredibly difficult. Many people feel hesitant to believe, let alone share what happened. Acknowledging what has occurred is a big first step. Although inviting, it’s important to not act as if nothing happened and be in denial. Without accepting the situation, you are unable to begin healing. It’s normal to need time to get to this point. Many times, it’s uncomfortable, but it will be worth it once you can acknowledge what occurred.
Accept support
For some, their idea of coping is to self-isolate and deal with things on their own. Pushing away support can be an adverse reaction for those dealing with trauma. It’s okay to ask for help and to also accept it. Those closest to you will likely want to help you get through it and if you’re uncomfortable talking to them, therapy can be a great resource, as many people benefit from an uninvolved third party.
Avoid rushing the process
It takes time to heal after any type of trauma. The key here is to not ignore problems or symptoms, take shortcuts, or rush the healing process. It also takes an immense amount of understanding and patience from the person directly impacted and those around them. Throughout this process, there will be successful moments. There will also be setbacks, and those setbacks are not failures.
Journal the experience
Many find comfort in healing and journaling. No specific way to journal exists, so you can customize this to fit your needs. This can include drawing or jotting out a few words or notes. Some find it better to have a journal that gives prompts to start the writing process.
Some people find it beneficial to recap what happened or to discuss how they’ve been doing since it occurred. Others find it helpful to write down the good and bad parts of their day, or write 1-2 sentences recapping the day.
Focus on well-being
This can include getting adequate sleep and rest and eating a well-balanced diet. Focus on your emotional self-care by doing things you enjoy or that help you relax and help you to feel recharged. This can include spending time with friends and family, listening to music, playing with a pet, or doing other things that bring you joy.
Seek EMDR therapy near you
If you or someone you know is struggling with the aftermath of a traumatic event, help is available. Reach out today to learn more about our mental health services, including anxiety therapy, therapy for professionals, and trauma therapy, namely EMDR treatment.
