It’s common for the maintenance of our mental and emotional wellbeing to be postponed for the demands of wildland firefighting; however, there may be times in your career when you cannot delay your need for professional support. Recognizing your own need to seek support or reaching out when someone on your team is struggling can be just as impactful as calling out a hazard on the fireline. Learn to recognize when help is needed and what resources are available. This topic aims to expand our definition of safety to include mental wellbeing. 

Your Mental Health Matters

Mental health and physical safety are interconnected. When stress and trauma go unaddressed, they can cloud judgement, slow reaction times, and impair communication, ultimately jeopardizing individual safety as well as the safety of their entire team.

When to Seek Professional Support

You may benefit from working with a mental health professional if you are experiencing any of these symptoms:

• Problems are lingering and not getting better — especially beyond 30 days.
• You have prolonged, intense feelings of sadness, hopelessness, emptiness, guilt, worry, anxiety, or anger.
• You notice changes in your behaviors, such as isolating or withdrawing from others, problems with your sleep or appetite, or increased use of alcohol or drugs to cope.
• You have difficulty functioning or concentrating on everyday tasks at work, school, or home.
• You have continuous conflicts, detachment, and problems in relationships with loved ones.
• Family and friends repeatedly voice concern for you.
• You experience physical symptoms, such as chronic headaches, stomach issues, or fatigue without a medical basis.

Check with your employer and health insurance provider for available resources. Different resources may be helpful at different phases of your career and for different circumstances.

Discussion Questions:

• What might prevent firefighters from seeking professional mental health support? How can we overcome those barriers?
• How can we support a colleague who is experiencing mental health challenges?
• Seeing a mental health professional is a healthy outlet, yet there is still a stigma attached. How does your crew talk about seeking support?
• Review the resources in the references below to discover what’s available for you and your crew.