Founded in February, 2016, Managing the Ghosts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting members of the first responder community that are struggling with the signs and symptoms of PTSD.
"What's the worst thing you've ever seen?"
It's the one question that we hate to answer... and the one question that everyone asks. PTSD in the first responder community is very real. It affects hundreds of thousands of EMS personnel, firefighters, police officers and 911 dispatchers. It affects everyone differently – some have flashbacks and insomnia; some become reclusive and hide, drinking themselves to sleep every night – others pay the ultimate sacrifice and take their own lives. Often the symptoms of PTSD are well concealed. Many first responders are afraid to share their feelings or are ashamed to feel "weak". It might be difficult to escape the symptoms of PTSD, but it can be managed. Help is available, and it's ok to ask for it. That's what this campaign is all about. – helping first responders in managing the ghosts that haunt them. Our goal is to provide the necessary resources to our public and private safety communities by raising awareness of PTSD in the first responder community, and through peer counseling training. At Managing the Ghosts, we are striving to break down the barriers to the management and treatment of PTSD in the first responder community. Those in the first responder community have forever understood the concept of “brotherhood” within the community. For most of us in this business, “we” are truly the only ones who understand what it’s like to be “us”. By recognizing that our peers are our best resources for help, we are seeking out members of the first responder community to provide support to their brothers and sisters in-service by serving as peer counselors.
