The first responders (firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and 911 dispatchers) are the backbone of emergency services in the US. They meet various challenges daily and often need to cope with high levels of stress and traumatic events. While they all receive training to help them overcome challenging situations, they often need additional coping mechanisms to deal with acute situations. Due to the nature of their job and high exposure to stressful situations, they require specialized treatments like drug and alcohol rehab for first responders who struggle with substance abuse. Trusted drug and alcohol rehab in West Virginia is here to aid those who have dedicated their lives to helping others. Keep reading to learn about alcohol abuse among first responders and ways they can receive help.
Alcohol Abuse in First Responders and the Need for Specialized Support
People continuously exposed to stressful situations or high pressure at work require strong coping mechanisms to deal with all challenges of such situations. First responders are repeatedly exposed to disasters, accidents, and tragedies that are difficult to stomach. All these situations result in physical and psychological outcomes, and first responders often seek ways to tame those outcomes to continue providing help for others.
First responders may experience high levels of distress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or a number of other mental health issues. They are also bound to experience various negative emotions and hold many negative memories, often disturbing rather than just uncomfortable.
Scientific studies indicate that the co-occurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a significant clinical concern across first responder populations. Research also emphasizes the difficulty of treating such comorbidities, as they have a complex and chronic clinical course compared to any of these disorders alone. Furthermore, it can lead to potential psychological, behavioral, and physical health outcomes, all requiring attention and treatment.
A way to deal with negative emotions and mental health challenges can be healthy coping mechanisms. However, oftentimes, they are maladaptive coping strategies that provide only short-term relief and do not resolve issues long-term. One of such ways is to suppress negative emotions, and another frequently implemented system of coping with negative emotions is by self-medicating.
How Do First Responders Cope with Stress and Trauma?
Actively suppressing emotions means minimizing them and not allowing yourself to feel them. This step requires a lot of mental effort and control. Furthermore, it does not resolve emotions, which can resurface at any moment, especially if a trigger is present. Once people discover their triggers, they might start acting differently, avoiding potential triggers, and ending up with behavioral changes on top of emotional ones. Suppressing feelings is unhealthy and can lead to both psychological and physical issues. In some cases, it can even result in psychosomatic problems—the occurrence of a physical response (such as high blood pressure, difficulties breathing, or allergic reactions) to an emotional state.
Another frequent way to deal with negative emotions and an alternative to suppressing them is to self-medicate. So, what effects does alcohol have on first responders? For some, self-medicating means relying on alcohol to forget. Several studies show increased alcohol consumption among urban first responders who respond to community disasters or even secondary trauma. Alcohol consumption can persist over time, develop into a chronic condition, and result in alcohol abuse disorder (AUD), necessitating specialized alcohol rehab for first responders, which alcohol rehab Fairmont WV offers.
A healthy alternative to these strategies would be seeking support. Professional alcohol rehab for first responders provides you with access to expert support, but peer support is an irreplaceable element for anyone dealing with stress.
The Role of Peer Support in Alcohol Rehab for First Responders
Support groups are typically a part of any substance abuse rehab. They consist of peers with similar issues, experiences, or recovery paths. While peers usually do not have sufficient knowledge to guide someone’s recovery (this is a role reserved for professionals), they can empathize on a deeper level and offer their experience and life stories as an inspiration to keep on going. You can only truly comprehend someone’s recovery if you have experienced it yourself.
Peer support is arguably more important for first responders than for any other group of people struggling with substance or alcohol abuse. The sheer quantity of traumatic and stressful life events that first responders encounter is atypical and can hardly be understood by someone living a very different life. The majority of first responders find themselves in life-threatening situations, witness trauma-inducing events, and testify to a lot of pain. While anyone can imagine it, most will lack the experience and negative emotions it brings.
However, people in the same or similar professions can share these experiences and emotional responses to them. Consequentially, they will understand what a first responder is going through and the difficulties of managing that. Such knowledge makes them ideal support providers for each other, as their understanding is genuine. Sharing experiences fosters trust and engagement, both of which are crucial for support to be successful.
Shared experiences are also a basis for continuous support, which is irreplaceable when it comes to substance or alcohol addiction. Remember, addiction can’t be cured, but it can be successfully managed. Numerous situations can trigger recurrent use. The nature of the profession implies the repetition of negative events and emotions that can invite relapse into your life. Peer support holds you accountable and continuously monitors your mental health status to ensure you’re managing your triggers and challenges. Such support paves the way for lifelong sobriety.
Seeking Professional Help for Lasting Recovery
As mentioned, peer support is irreplaceable and often crucial for long-term recovery. However, it cannot replace professional assistance. You should still seek alcohol rehab for first responders provided by a trustworthy alcohol rehab center Buckhannon WV can rely on, like Harmony Ridge Recovery Center WV.
Our specialized program offers a combination of evidence-based approaches, holistic treatments, and peer support. We additionally tailor them to meet your needs, circumstances, and preferences. You can always count on a well-rounded program with continuous assistance and support that treats you as a whole person rather than just addressing your acute mental health issues.
Our team of professionals is highly skilled and experienced in treating alcohol dependence and addiction. Furthermore, they truly care about all our clients and ensure they feel seen, understood, and supported in the long run. You can rely on them not only for emergency assistance but also for structured and long-term help in achieving and maintaining sobriety for a lifetime.
Our services are not only top quality but also affordable. We are part of networks for various insurance organizations, making our programs accessible without being financially burdensome. You can check with your insurance provider whether our services will be fully or partially covered. For instance, if you have PEIA insurance rehab coverage, you can count on at least a portion of your alcohol treatment for first responders at Harmony Ridge Recovery Center WV, to be covered by your insurance provider.
Accessible Therapy Solutions for First Responders in Recovery
At Harmony Ridge Recovery Center WV, we implement a combination of different treatments and approaches to help you successfully manage your alcohol addiction lifelong. We tailor each of our programs to fit your needs. Furthermore, we rely on holistic therapy for addiction, equally aiding your body, mind, and spirit. The aim is for you to overcome current struggles and alcohol dependence, but also to develop healthy coping mechanisms and support systems that can help you cope with challenges of your profession daily. Here are some of stages you’ll go through:
- The first stage is typically an alcohol detox that aims to cleanse your body for any traces of alcohol and prepare you for future treatments. It is recommended that detox take place in a facility so the medical staff can use medicines to manage the sometimes highly uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.
- The next step primarily deals with your mind. various evidence-based therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy for substance use disorders, work on reframing your maladaptive and irrational thinking, feeling, and behavioral patterns that led you to alcohol addiction. Furthermore, approaches like trauma counseling can help you deal with co-occurring mental health issues. During psychotherapy, you develop healthy coping mechanisms and strategies that can help you address any future mental health challenge or deal with any future alcohol use triggers.
- Finally, holistic approaches such as meditation in yoga deal with your spirit and help you feel grounded and connected with your environment.
Additionally, by seeking professional help, you can find specialized programs like rehab for veterans that support people in this profession. Similar to first responders, veterans have seen and experienced numerous potentially traumatic and highly stressful events, but as their role is different, they require specialized help.
Benefits of Peer Support in Alcohol Treatment for First Responders
We’ve mentioned several times how important peer support is. Still, we have to mention its concrete benefits, so you understand its relevance for the recovery process. Here are a few of the most important benefits of peer support during alcohol rehab for first responders:
- You will be breaking your isolation. Struggling with mental health or addiction may feel like something that is happening only to you, inviting feelings of isolation and loneliness into your life. Participating in peer support groups makes you realize you’re not alone in your problem and that many struggle like you do. Such awareness makes you feel less isolated and more connected with your peers and colleagues.
- You will be establishing accountability. You will quickly realize and testify to many success stories that always start with taking responsibility for what’s happening in your life. Accountability is an important aspect of the recovery process. Your peers ensure you stay committed to the process by regularly checking on you and providing their assistance when necessary.
- You will be developing shared coping strategies. You don’t need to learn everything on your own. You can learn from other people’s experiences and develop with their support. Support groups are more than just a great source of understanding and support. They also provide you with a specific group dynamic that results in the development of healthy coping strategies.
Peer Support Strategies in Alcohol Rehab for First Responders
When we speak of peer support, the first thing coming to everyone’s mind are support groups. However, they are one of many ways peers can support each other. Structured group therapy with fellow first responders is beneficial for processing shared military related trauma and providing ideas for overcoming them. The group dynamic provides unparalleled understanding and support, making you feel truly seen.
In addition to group dynamics, one-on-one mentorship programs are also a source of peer support. These mentorship programs pair you with an experienced peer in recovery. The relationship allows for more intimate experience-sharing and a dedicated psychological space to share struggles and doubts. They’re especially beneficial for those who do not feel comfortable sharing their experience within a group, which can frequently be the case for new patients.
Find Help for Alcohol Abuse
If you are struggling with recurring experiences that can only be described as stressful and traumatic and you find yourself leaning towards alcohol for immediate relief, you might be on your way to develop alcohol dependence instead of a sustainable coping mechanism. Such scenarios can happen to anyone, but you are at a higher risk as the first responder. Rather than risking yours and the lives of others, seek alcohol rehab for first responders to overcome your struggles and develop healthy coping strategies. We at Harmony Ridge Recovery Center WV will help you find the peer support you need and stay on the right track.
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23156959/
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-78445-003
https://www.usfa.fema.gov/blog/national-first-responders-day/#:~:text=First%20responders%20are%20the%20backbone,own%20lives%20to%20save%20others.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3860387/#:~:text=In%20the%20tension%2Dreduction%20hypothesis,responses%20to%20stress%20were%20perturbed.
