This week, we’re going to be talking about PTSD.
I say this as a heads-up for listeners that we’ll be dealing with some heavier subject matter.
And because we’re talking about such a serious subject, I think you’ll understand why the copy for this episode isn’t as chipper as usual.
PTSD is something that I think a lot of us have come to associate with either combat veterans or the victims of violence, but any mental health professional will tell you that there is no litmus-test for trauma.
But of the many professions that interact with trauma, few of them do so as regularly as that of a firefighter, and unfortunately my guest today had to find this out the hard way.
After becoming a firefighter at the age of 19, Nick Wingo quickly realized he was not yet equipped to handle the Death part of the life-and-death situations he was being called to help in.
And after years of towing the line and pushing down his pain, Nick finally broke. And as he has put the pieces back together and come to understand his PTSD, he is on a mission to share his story and help other first responders seek the help the need and deserve.
The author of Amazon Bestseller, Building Grit: Fighting the Fires of PTSD, Nick and I discuss how leaders can recognize warning-signs in themselves, why our blindspots usually end up being the things we see most clearly in others, and the need to dispel the myth that there is a threshold for who gets to struggle.
I hope you enjoy the show.
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If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. Veterans, press 1 when calling OR contact Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741 to text with a trained crisis counselor from the Crisis Text Line for free, 24/7
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