THE HIDDEN TOLL: FIRST RESPONDER STATISTICS:
The reality is that the emotional and psychological impact of the job can often lead to severe long-term consequences.
Cumulative stress and untreated trauma is linked to significant physical health issues due to constant nervous system activation, including higher risks of: Cardiovascular Disease, Chronic Pain, and Metabolic Syndrome. The cumulative emotional and physical exhaustion experienced by First Responder due to the demanding nature of their jobs, including trauma exposure, high pressure situations, sleep deprivation and lack of adequate support is known as FIRST RESPONDER EXHAUSTION SYNDROME (FRES). 70% of First Responders experience FRES. In one national study First Responders reported high levels of burnout across three core components: Emotional Exhaustion: 40%, Detachment/Cyniscism:50%, Lack of Personal Accomplishment:22.1%
Post Traumatic Stress is best defined as an event that overwhelms the brain and body's ability to cope. Traumatic events can vary widely in severity and nature but typically can be any incident that causes significant physical, emotional or psychological harm, threatening a person's sense of safety. This can include direct exposure as well as witnessing the events. What constitutes a traumatic event is subjective and can vary depending on cultural backgrounds, personal experience and coping mechanisms.
Research by Bruce Perry and others revealed that traumatic incidents impact the brain, resulting in an injury to the brain/central nervous system. Experiencing a traumatic event creates fixed neural networks that are resistant to change, especially emotional neural networks.
On average most individuals will experience three to four traumatic events in their entire lifetime. Whereas First Responders, on average, experience three to five traumatic events a month. The data shows that the mental health burden on First Responders is significantly higher than in the general population. Most First Responders report never having enough time to recover between traumatic events.
These numbers clearly illustrate that the problem extends far beyond "stress" and demands a comprehensive, trauma-informed, and neurobiologically focused solution..
