Military veterans, emergency personnel, public servants

I have provided care to military officers and enlisted, veterans of Special Forces, SEALs and Army Rangers, and members of mortuary affairs. Many are returning veterans from the watershed events of the Vietnam War and September 11th. I have also provided care to State Department and other government agency employees who have served domestically and overseas in challenging assignments, as well as to military veterans who later went to work in government or in law enforcement in different capacities.

I have provided care to emergency services personnel of all types, including

firefighter, paramedics, and law enforcement. Many are men and women who had previously served in the armed forces. They are public servants that we often take for granted until we really need them.  They have chosen careers of public service and assume risk on our behalf.  They carry the burden of some of those experiences alone, out of a sense of responsibility to the public, and due to the expectation that you should be able to “suck it up” and not let work bother them.

Exposure to trauma inevitably diminishes our sensitivity, which we need for our relationships at home.  How can you continue to serve the public without becoming cold, unfeeling, and disconnected from the personal relationships and supportive people we need?

How do you process burdensome memories that loved ones would not understand if you told them? What is the emotional price of leaving for “work”, and knowing your return is not certain? How do you reconcile lives not saved with your promise to leave no one behind? How do you deal with the possibility of guilt or shame for actions taken or not taken?