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First Responders

Written By: Recovery
Medically Reviewed By: Catherine Manly, LMHC
July 29, 2022

ART IS A HEALING ACTIVITY

Intro to First Responders Addiction Treatment Program

You get many rewards as a career first responder, firefighter, police officer, or medical professional. You can enjoy that sense of purpose that comes with helping people in need and pride in working closely with your community.

You know that you made the world a little bit better at the end of each day. But the type of work involved for first responders means they are at a higher risk for addiction and PTSD.

As a first responder, your profession is profoundly important, but it also puts you at high risk for witnessing or directly experiencing trauma.

PTSD can result from:

Individual experiences,
Experiences of those close to you,
Experiences that you witness or are indirectly involved with.

PTSD is a mental health condition that can inhibit your ability as a first responder to carry out your duties and responsibilities. More importantly, it can negatively impact your otherwise productive, healthy life.

When first responders recognize symptoms of PTSD, even if they don’t realize it’s because of trauma, it’s common to try and self-medicate. At the end of a difficult day, having witnessed something horrible, first responders might come home and drink a little too much or take a few extra prescriptions given to their spouse.

Self-medicating for PTSD can lead to serious addiction. Without proper help from a first responder addiction treatment program or first responder PTSD treatment programs, the symptoms can reach a point where you can’t do your job effectively, let alone live a rewarding life.

With Prevail Recovery’s rehab Florida first responder treatment, you can get help today. Contact us today.

LEARN ABOUT THE STATISTICS- YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Addiction Statistics for First Responders

According to the National Survey on Drug Use:

Firefighters

29% of firefighters abuse alcohol
10% of firefighters abused prescription drugs
Binge drinking is higher among firefighters than in the general population.
Firefighters reported high levels of alcohol consumption and binge drinking for the sake of camaraderie because of peer support, the culture of the fire station, or as a way to wind down after managing the stress of work.

Police Officers

25% of police officers struggle with drug or alcohol abuse
30% of police officers have a substance abuse disorder compared to the general population rate of 10%
Up to 19% of police officers have PTSD
Police officers die from suicide much higher than they do from homicide

Paramedics/EMTs

36% of EMTs suffer from depression
72% of EMTs struggle with sleep deprivation
20% of EMTs have PTSD

Contact Prevail Recovery to get top-rated Florida first responder treatment.

FIRST RESPONDERS: SPECIALIZED REHAB BENEFITS

What Are the Benefits of a First Responder Addiction Treatment Program?

At Prevail Recovery, we understand the detrimental impacts PTSD can have on someone’s life and how easy it is to become addicted when trying to self-medicate.

That is why our Florida first responder rehab program works so hard to address this special population and get the career-specific help needed. We better understand medical responders, firefighters, and law enforcement backgrounds and training with liaisons.

Understanding the background for these careers, the education required, and the training received regularly helps our mental health professionals remain more knowledgeable. We use that to:

Create first responder rehab programs that are individualized. When you contact our staff, we can put you through an initial phone assessment to determine how our first responder treatment programs can best fit your needs.
Verify insurance benefits. When you are brave enough to reach out for Florida first responder treatment, it’s important to know what your first responder health insurance policy will cover. We have dedicated staff members who can easily explain your policy’s benefits and work with you to find ways to cover the cost of your treatment.
Individualize your first responder treatment programs to give you the best chance of recovery. We appreciate how important your job is and how important your ability to cope with the everyday stress of such an important career is. That is why our team works with you to develop career-specific coping mechanisms and ways to manage the stress of your job and find solutions other than addiction.

Contact Prevail Recovery today for first responder rehab.

ADDICTION AND FIRST RESPONDERS

What to Expect in a First Responder Rehab Program

Making the brave decision to consider first responder treatment programs at Prevail Recovery will give you access to top-notch care.

Detoxification is an essential part of starting your journey to recovery. You can expect an initial detox if you need help with a first responder addiction treatment program. At Prevail Recovery, our staff will monitor your vitals throughout your detox process to help you manage your withdrawal symptoms in a comfortable, safe environment.
Suppose you need help with first responder PTSD treatment programs. In that case, an initial evaluation will help us create a customized plan that includes individual and group therapy as well as holistic therapy opportunities.

A big part of being able to return to your job and continue making the world a better place is learning effective coping mechanisms, increasing your self-awareness, and teaching you how to cultivate a strong emotional foundation from which to deal with traumatic issues and concerns without being overwhelmed and turning to drugs and alcohol.

Individual Therapy

To that end, with our Florida first responder rehab, you can expect an initial detox, after which you will participate in individual therapy sessions, usually two or more times each week, depending on your needs.

Multiple sessions can be added to your individualized treatment program as necessary and removed as necessary.

Group Therapy

We also provide group therapy as an essential component of Florida first responder treatment. You can gain so much when you recognize that you are not alone and that many other professionals just like you are dealing with the same struggles.

Seeing that and being exposed to a healthy, supportive environment of first responders can also give you a great deal of encouragement while you go through your healing process.

Holistic Therapy

Holistic therapy is a proven, effective part of comprehensive treatment. Prevail Recovery integrates so many opportunities for holistic therapy, including things like:

Art therapy,
Music therapy,
Meditation,
Yoga,
Wilderness therapy,
Nutritional counseling,
Relapse prevention education.

Weaving holistic therapies throughout individual and group therapy sessions are an essential part of first-responder PTSD treatment programs because it gives you the emotional foundation you need to focus on the present, turn your attention inward, and find coping skills to apply to your career and your life, long-term.

FIRST RESPONDER PROGRAM AT PREVAIL

Prevail Recovery’s First Responder Rehab Program

At Prevail Recovery, we appreciate that police officers, emergency dispatchers, paramedics, firefighters, and other individuals who work as first responders deal with exposure to traumatic events daily. It’s only natural that mental health struggles would leave a lasting impact.

But we also know that with the right first responder rehab, you can overcome the PTSD brought about by stress on the job, trauma, sleep disorders, injuries, anxiety or depression, and PTSD.

Our Florida treatment program relies on the expertise of professionals who have overcome addictions and dealt with mental health disorders themselves. Applying this knowledge and the specialty of the first responder field helps us offer unique first responder rehab.

Let Prevail Recovery help you start your first responder addiction recovery plan!

Get Help Today

We are here for you.

We are here to help you on your journey every step of the way.

First Responders

Intro to First Responders Addiction Treatment Program

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