| Depression, like fire, takes many forms |
Dr.
|
Walk
into any fire station and ask the crew if anyone has ever suffered from
depression. Watch the result. In the average house, silence is the most
probable response. Silence, averted glances and changes in body language, all
of which say “Let’s not go there.” color:black” lang=”EN-CA”> color:black” lang=”EN-CA”>
This is by no means always the response but it is typical and may be part of
what harms our firefighters. Despite more than 30 years of work by groups
such as the World Health Organization, the Canadian Mental Health Association
and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to de-stigmatize depression,
it is a mental illness and is therefore typically bound into misconceptions
that few of us even know we hold.
So, depression is like fires. Some are of short duration and are managed
quickly; others take longer, do more damage and require additional resources
to stop. Rarely, there is a big one, a fire so awful that every resource
available is brought to bear and the conflagration may last for a long time.
color:black” lang=”EN-CA”>
“As with townhouse fires, the spread of depression can go undetected to
onlookers for some time but becomes obvious after much devastation has been
caused.“
We all know some folks for whom life seems more down than up, for whom life’s
glass is always more than half empty. These people don’t feel good inside and
it usually shows. They tend to be downers and may mask this trait in a
variety of ways in the firehouse. Constant cynical comments and jibes that go
beyond the usual watch-desk and kitchen banter might be a tipoff.
Mental-health workers refer to this constant low level of unease as
dysthymia. Folks with dysthymia will sometimes develop a more severe
depression but by no means always.
More severe clinical depression can be slow to start or come on swiftly as a
reaction to a critical event. It might be invisible when the first-due rigs
arrive, but when it shows itself, there is usually no doubt about what is
going on. color:black” lang=”EN-CA”>
Those with clinical depression will have experienced certain signs and
symptoms most of the time for at least two weeks. The Canadian Mental Health
Association website
(www.cmha) color:black” lang=”EN-CA”>helps those who think they might be suffering any form of
depression to examine those feelings and determine whether they mark some
type of depression. The net can be a source of very useful information and
self-exploration, but a face-to-face contact with someone who really knows
the issues is recommended. Just as we hope folks will call the fire service
when their house is ablaze rather than ring up the town recreation
department, so too it makes good sense to call caring and experienced
professionals who have been trained to diagnose and treat depression.
Well-meaning friends and family are crucial for support, but just as we
recommend calling 911, call the professionals.
Depression can be a killer if the individual suffering it reaches the point
of suicidal thought and action. For some who are near this stage, a helpful
friend who can point out resources and just be with the sufferer can
sometimes be enough to prevent such destructive actions. Sometimes, more
active interventions are necessary. As with many of the life-saving
techniques firefighters learn on the job, it is vital to know how to respond
when one of our own is trying to deal with depression.
Ask for training to the degree that is appropriate for your department.
Sometimes the best thing to do is help the firefighter friend make contact
with an appropriate professional through a help line or an employee
assistance program.
color:#4F81BD” lang=”EN-CA”>
