A unique workshop with a message: You are not alone!
You long for the confidence, courage, and strategies to face stress head on and win. And right now, you dread facing another stress filled day. Everything feels important and must be done this very second. You are sometimes anxious, or you can even feel like your insides are tied up in knots. Nothing seems to be going right, yet you can’t seem to muster up the courage to ask someone for help. You are not alone.
According to studies cited by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), between seven percent and 19 percent of police officers experience symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, compared to 3.5 percent of the general population. And 75% to 90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
The Single Greatest Cause of Death for our First Responders is Suicide
You've seen and experienced things you sometimes wish you didn't. You've always known things could get bad, but you always found a way to push it aside, to bury it and move on. You tell yourself, "Another drink will make me feel okay."
Nearly 400,000 first responders in the United States are suffering from PTSI symptoms. Klimley, Kristin E.; Van Hasselt, Vincent B.; Stripling, Ashley M. (November 2018). "Posttraumatic stress disorder in police, firefighters, and emergency dispatchers". Aggression and Violent Behavior. 43: 33–44. doi:10.1016/j.avb.2018.08.005. ISSN 1359-1789.
For the third straight year, police suicides outnumbered line of duty deaths. Lohr, David (January 2019). Huff Post
“The single greatest cause of death for law enforcement officers each year is suicide,” Jeff McGill, vice president of Blue H.E.L.P.
It does not have to stay like that. There is a way to learn the tactics, tools, and strategies to combat PTS and the stress that can lead to exhaustion, burnout, and when left unchecked, suicidal ideation. A Badge of Honor: Healing our Heroes workshop brings a unique approach to combating the effects of PTS. "You're not sitting around looking at a power point all day. You are actively learning what is backed by science and what works," says A Badge of Honor's President Samantha Horwitz. She and her three co-founders teach from experience. All have a law enforcement and fire fighter background as well as clinical experience. And each of them has experienced trauma. Here's what attendees had to say:
"Absolutely fantastic! I could have listened to more." ~ Police Officer
"A must attend for those in peer support and CISM." ~ Police Officer
"Y'all covered all the important aspects of trauma and PTSI." ~ Firefighter
"The workshop was excellent and easy to understand." ~ Therapist
"As a former LEO, y'all nailed it! This is what we are going through and it needs to be talked about even more."~ Retired Police Officer
"I'm a supporter and had no idea the impact of your jobs. Thank you for bringing this forward." ~ Civilian supporter of first responders
"This was the first time in 28 years that anyone cared about the trauma I was exposed to."
~ Police Officer
Registration is now open for the April 23rd workshop in Rowlett, TX. Sponsored by the Garland, TX Police Department. https://www.abadgeofhonor.com/garland-pd-registration