Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common among firefighters and emergency personnel. Almost a third of first responders develop behavioral health conditions, including depression and PTSD. First responders encounter life-and-death situations, including violent and unsettling incidents, as part of their normal workday. Again, turning to drugs or alcohol to treat the PTSD can result in an addiction, which makes the situation and the symptoms that much worse.

Treatment for first responders involves identifying the issues that caused the PTSD. A dual diagnosis of a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder can result from a vicious cycle of stress, behavioral issues, and drug or alcohol addiction. Both the addiction and the mental health issues must be treated together to heal the whole person.

First responders face the difficulty of dealing with the traumatic incidents they witness every day, as well as the challenges of staying sober and focused enough to perform their jobs of rescuing people from fires, accidents, or dire medical situations. Treatment for first responders enables them to work through their daily stress and trauma in positive, healthy ways as they work toward a successful recovery from addiction.