You are not alone.
Concord, NH – On 4 November, 2022 Christy Lister Presented “Protecting Both Sides of the Badge” at Healing Through Trauma Symposium.
Discovering you are not alone was taken to an all-new level on November 4th, 2022. First Responders Coaching and The New Hampshire Fire Academy, brought together first responders and family members to openly talk about what they have been through and how they have overcome the obstacles no one talks about as a first responder.
The speakers came from all branches of first responders and family members that have walked the line. They shared stories of fighting silently to keep their struggles of PTSI, depression, and substance issues to themselves, fearing that they would be deemed weak. They relayed personal accounts of hiding behind the uniform that kept them from asking for help, yet the uniform was what often brought them to the brink of life-changing decisions.
Growth can happen through trauma.
Growth can happen through trauma when you receive help. Whether that help is having a conversation with someone, taking your energy and making art like Jo Grubman, or discovering meditation the way Joe Dispenza explains in, “Breaking The Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One“
Healing happens; you can grow through it.
In 2019, we lost Ken, my ex-husband and the father of our children to suicide. I have never been more honored and humbled to have served as a speaker, a member of First H.E.L.P., friend, and member of the first responder community than I was during this symposium. I didn’t know that I wasn’t alone until Ken passed away; he wasn’t alone; it just feels that way when we stay in the dark depths of trauma. It doesn’t have to be that way, we can give the tools for both sides of the badge, headset, or whatever uniform you wear. Buddy checks exist for a reason; use them. Healing happens; it won’t be easy, and the trauma doesn’t go away, but you can grow through it.
