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Depression is the second most common type of mental health disorder in the United States. It causes changes in your thinking, behavior and moods. First Responders suffering from depression often feel persistent sadness and anxiety. Hopelessness and a loss of self-worth are common symptoms. Clinical depression carries with it risk of self-harm and suicide. It can also weaken the immune system and your overall physical health. When you add alcohol or other drugs to the mix, th

We have an entire month dedicated to mental health awareness, yet we lose more first responders to suicide than we do line of duty. We could all give our best educated guesses as to why we are losing so many to suicide. I could even give you my many thoughts on this, such as: stigma, lack of resources, lack of access to these resources, insurance that doesn’t want to cover treatment (West Virginia specifically), and financial inability to afford the few resources that are acc

As first responders, we are often too tough for our own good. Refusing to admit that we have weak points and that we are frail and weak at times. Having to be strong in public becomes so ingrained in us that it becomes a way of life. It finds its way into every aspect of our life, from how we deal with the public, how we deal with our families, and how we deal with ourselves. For me while I was strong for everyone, or at least I thought so, in my private moments with no one a