Wellness

Here are some options to consider for Firefighter Health:

Mental Health and Wellness is a path of awareness knowledge of the possible situations (i.e. Depression, PTSD, suicide),  prevention and solutions (ie Talking with professional, regular vigorous exercise, meditation, refraining from substance abuse or self-medication, cognitive behaviour therapy techniques- positive self-talk, deep breathing, visualization and smart goal setting.  *depression is dealt with by either medication administered by a professional or cognitive behaviour therapy or talk therapy. Your family Doctor or Psychiatrist can prescribe meds – Psychologists cannot. Psychologists do a doctorate by way of honours BA & Masters, while Psychiatrist attend med school and 8 plus years of residency.)

Seek out “Awareness courses” on Depression,PTSD and suicide – you need to know the specific modalities of each and Not just a general knowledge of their existence so that you know if you or someone close to you is affected. You need this training to know what to look out for before it is too late. Depression is thought to be the underlying reason for suicide (suicide is not a disease but an outcome)-Get the training!