Social media, the news and talk amongst professionals is rampant lately, highlighting the state workers are finding themselves entrenched in and digging out of the worst two years in their respective professions in recent history. During our pandemic, the undertaking by healthcare workers and responders caring for the public overcome by illness and the social gravity of the epidemic is mind-boggling. Both professional fields have been immersed in a climate of elevated stressors 24/7 since early 2020. Staff on the front line then go home after getting a gut full of it, only to endure more as they and their families face personal struggles.
No one, absolutely no one, should be called upon to endure the pain and grief associated with suffering mental health issues imposed by a career choice and their profession. No employer should be able to hold a paycheck, pension, or social pressure over an employee’s head. They ought to know that a move like this will force their employee to return to work injured, only to extend the emotional damage inflicted by stress, placing the worker at more risk.
Everyone involved in recognizing, preventing, and caring for individuals with mental health issues bears responsibility here. Employees, employers, mental health professionals, government regulators and the public have a part. The most challenging hurdle to preventing or recognizing stress-induced injury is self-reflection and being painfully honest with yourself. To admit our own vulnerability or the toll stress is taking on us is like engaging in the sport of Olympic weightlifting. You can do it!
Coming to grips with your injury or illness should not be an exercise in isolation. The resources are at your fingertips. The help, in no particular order, should come from family, friends, coworkers, your employer and mental health professionals. During decades of a career in first response, friends, coworkers, and I occasionally asked for help. Slow to come years ago, I would say the support has improved. If you are experiencing difficulty with stress and mental health issues, your initial reaction might be denial. All is forgiven, but the time to act is now.
If you have not dealt with it, one of your allies may reach out and start by asking how you are. They might even recommend that you seek help upon seeing you in distress. That was my experience. A respected friend and social worker pointed me in the right direction. A huge thanks to her.
I hope there comes a time in your journey if you haven’t come to grips with the problem, that someone you respect steps up and is honest with you. When your distress gets to a point where it is evident to others around you, count yourself as the luckiest person you know to have someone reach out. You just won your personal lottery. Take the help! Responders and healthcare workers will “talk the talk” and share situational awareness skills that the average person cannot appreciate.
After a stressful incident, informal defusing and debriefing may be all you need to get you back. Formal debriefings should be our friend and not avoided. Sometimes a familiar face and encouraging words are all that is required to recover. Lastly, there comes a time for a structured approach to helping the injured. In my case, I set aside my fragile ego and listened to a professional.
After leaving a stressful workplace, don’t forget that you will return to a home environment with its own stressors. Most readers have had their first coffee of the shift with a friend, only to hear that the time off did not help their coworker recharge their batteries. It just drained them flat. Facing multiple shifts while already stressed out is never a good start.
Think of yourself as a stress vessel capable of holding in the tension and angst until it finally overflows. There is a valve where you can relieve stress through the usual routes: rest, diet, exercise, debriefing, time and distance from stressors and so on. If you don’t reduce the pressure, the signs of an overload will surface. You may become aware, or those around you may point it out. Don’t wait for a second warning.
Realizing you are struggling is like having a question during a lecture in school. Some are hesitant to ask at the risk of being labelled. If you are having problems, others around you likely have similar questions. Asking for help will benefit you, and you may have just allowed someone near you to get closer to that answer you both seek.
Today, many readers have resources such as peer support groups and coworker liaisons to reach out to. Alternatively, employers for larger organizations have occupational health staff in-house with more resources at the other end of phones and email. Listen to those friends and allies around you. In this case, the advice that gets you the help you need earlier on is a great start.
There have never been more resources available to help with stress and mental health than today. To friends, past coworkers and allied professionals, and those that came after me: if you are struggling, please help yourselves, reach out to those around you and help them or tell someone who can help. Retiring from serving the public, I don’t miss the shiftwork, politics or action. I do miss the faces, stories and friendships. The memories become strained when I hear of the difficulties some are having on the front lines of public service. Get well and stay well.
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