Emerg Services Any dispatchers out there?

[Freida]

Done done. Done. Can't handle one more call from the child who found her mom hanging in the garage, or the elderly lady trying to do CPR or one more officer screaming for help. It's been all over the news... 6 dead in two days. Are you as tired if it as I am? So why can't I cry?

 

[gealach]

I was a dispatcher before becoming an emt. Sending support your way.

 

[Freida]

Thanks! I was having a tough night and then I made the mistake of watching the news...which I know is a bad combo.

 

[woundedmind]

Thanks! I was having a tough night and then I made the mistake of watching the news...which I know is a...

I was a fire dispatcher/911 call taker with a very large poplulation county (Los Angeles County) in the state of California, USA, although I don't attribute my CPTSD from there but some things that happened there didn't help and for a while hearing a standard ringtone from old fashioned phones made feel as if someone dying was on the other end of the line every time and caused a feeling of dread.

 

[Freida]

Yep -- that's it exactly. My ptsd comes from my military stint -- and I couldn't have picked a worse career field to go into afterwards. Talk about compartmentalizing!

 

[loui50]

I was a dispatcher before becoming a cop. It was a long bad road to travel. My PTSD is from my cop days, but I think dispatching contributed too.

 

[Freida]

yiikes! that's a double whammy....:eek::(

 

[RRT13]

I was a dispatcher for 5 years before becoming a cop. I feel like as a dispatcher I experienced way more traumatic calls in a shorter period of time than on patrol. We dont get time to feel emotion or talk about what just happened. Calls are holding, phones and 911 are going off. You just keep going and going and finally crash when it's time to make relief. Then what, now it's time to think about dinner, shower and everything else that's routine. I've worked dispatch, patrol, narcotics, and now in the jail. We dont get anytime to feel and debrief. They call us heroes, but sometimes we need to feel weak and vulnerable but we forget how to. Sending some support your way! Thank you for what you do in dispatch. It's a thankless job by a lot unless you've worked in there.

 

[Freida]

I've worked dispatch, patrol, narcotics, and now in the jail.

So.....dispatch +patrol + narc + jail / dating combat vet= super ptsd overachiever!!! Good grief girlfriend that's quite the resume - no wonder you ended up here! Have you been officially diagnosed yet? Or just finding a bunch of like minded folks and wondering if you fit here or in the supporters section??

sometimes we need to feel weak and vulnerable but we forget how to.

I think you will like it here -- I've been amazed that the people here are actively working towards getting better. Yea -kind of amazing. They support each other, offer suggestions, opinions, an ear to vent to, and there is no blahblahblah going on in the background. Or if there is I haven't found it yet - and you KNOW I've looked! Plus the anonymity is nice. I've said things here I'd never say in the world

It's a thankless job by a lot unless you've worked in there.

It's been interesting how many people here have done the dispatch to LE thing. And dispatch was tough but I never got puked on so that's the benefit! I do not know how you all deal with the idiots face to face. At least I can hang up the phone. Yea, I have to go to the next screamer but they don't smell and I'm not getting rained on!;)

 

[RRT13]

Oh did i forget to add in a divorce this year too?! My ex is also military. I went to counseling during divorce and was told I have childhood ptsd. Losing a sister who was 4 and I was 13, alcoholic father. Pretty sure it's there. I've been doing as much research as I can to understand the combat vet ex and have learned as much about myself. This site seems really awesome so I'm excited to learn how to open up more and hopefully help others!

 

[Freida]

ok - you know I laugh with love but holy crap - that's some list you got going on there!

did you look at the main page with all the articles Anthony has posted? Really good way to get started - especially the PTSD Stress Cup one. Are you doing therapy yet? If not get your happy ass in there! (hey - I said I was a dispatcher - I'm supposed to boss you around!) Seriously though - as you start digging it all up having therapy in place will help keep you sane.

I've loved being on this site. I have a really hard time asking for help or expecting support outside of work, so the responses I get here have been both astonishing and confusing

 

[RRT13]

Thank you Freida. I will check that stress cup out for sure. I'm going to make some more appts with counseling and see what helps too!!! I'l keep you posted!