WHAT IS THE FIREFIGHTER IDENTITY ?
It ’ s being strong , capable , and trained to handle emergencies headfirst , not shrink from them . That is the victim ’ s role . Those are the people we drag from burning buildings , resuscitate , extricate , and intubate . Those folks are often panicked , disoriented , and unable to help themselves .
Those folks . Not us . We ’ ve intentionally invested our time , energy , and sweat equity into learning not to be that .
So , unless the available solutions when we feel panicked , disoriented , or unable to help ourselves put us back in the driver ’ s seat as fast as possible , we ’ re not going to bite . The solution must serve our chosen identity . Fighting against this aspect of human nature is futile . There ’ s also nothing wrong with the desire to stay in an empowered state .
Let me say that again . There ’ s nothing wrong with wanting a more empowering solution for your mental health than what is currently available .
Since identities are central to the way people make decisions , any change that violates someone ’ s identity is likely doomed to failure .
Fortunately , we don ’ t have to look far from the firehouse to find a solution that comes close to tradition and is more aligned with how firefighters operate . It ’ s called autonomous support .
Autonomous support is the missing piece in the spectrum of mental health solutions for first responders . Kids were taught fire prevention when they were told to stop , drop , and roll . That ’ s autonomous support : a simple behavior that a person can execute independently to get themselves out of a tough spot .
Knowing how to perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself – also an autonomous support move .
These small action adjustments seem so easy , yet their effects are profound . An example of this is extinguishing a campfire with a cup of water versus rallying a multi-state battalion of hotshots and evacuating entire communities because the wildfire has gotten out of control .
THERE ’ S NOTHING WRONG WITH WANTING A MORE EMPOWERING SOLUTION FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH THAN WHAT IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE .
The reality is this : you are the only one who can reliably , consistently , and responsively be there for you 100 % of the time . No exceptions . No one else can do this for you . Not your mom . Not your captain . Not society . Not your therapist . Not EAP or your employer . With autonomous support , you assume radical responsibility to save your own ass when your mental landscape starts to burn and extinguish it early when it ’ s easy to deal with .
That doesn ’ t require anyone else ’ s help , only your commitment to better habits .
How do we manage autonomous support ? One important aspect is understanding that every emotion we feel is a habit . How we feel anger is a habit . Sadness is a habit . Grief is a habit . Shame is a habit . We learned what an emotion was by witnessing that reaction in someone else , or identifying a physical sensation , and putting a label on it .
These habits don ’ t necessarily reflect reality . They only reflect our interpretation of the situation . They are triggered opinions .
Where we go wrong is by strongly identifying with the emotion , perpetuating it , and then making decisions from that state . Essentially , we become our emotion , all the while forgetting that it ’ s just a state that will pass . And once it passes , we can act from a place of clarity and power once again . Our perspective is never the same from inside an emotional state as it is from the outside , hence the different behaviors that transpire when we ’ re pissed off versus calm or fearful versus confident .
One of the most effective cognitive tools for improving autonomous support is mindfulness . With mindfulness , we merely witness the emotion as we feel it . We don ’ t judge it . We just let it burn itself out after a few minutes , remembering that , “ This is just a state . I ’ m going to sit here and feel / watch / listen until it fades .”
The experience of mindfulness is like helping a victim on scene who is struggling , or running a patient in the back of the bus . We watch and listen to them with a centered detachment because we aren ’ t identifying with them or their problems . We can be sympathetic without taking the bait and being drawn into the drama .
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