Hi all. New and need some advice.

[Seth412]

Thank you. Yea it's really hard for me say how I will react to the buildup of stress. I imagine, due to the obsessive nature of my mind, that the big difference between me and others is that my breaking point will come a lot sooner. Do you ever get used to the job, seeing people dying and suffering? Or does it suck every time you see it?

Just bumped up my SSRI dose. Higher doses are supposed to work better for OCD, so we'll see if there's any improvement.

[medicgirl05]

Thank you. Yea it's really hard for me say how I will react to the buildup of stress. I imagine, due to the obsessive nature of my mind, that the big difference between me and others is that my breaking point will come a lot sooner. Do you ever get used to the job, seeing people dying and suffering? Or does it suck every time you see it?

Just bumped up my SSRI dose. Higher doses are supposed to work better for OCD, so we'll see if there's any improvement.

I must say it sucks every time you see it. The difference is you learn ways to deal as time passes.

Until you get a call that blows you out of the water and you have no idea how to deal.

[MariB]

/> I must say it sucks every time you see it. The difference is you learn ways to deal as time passes.

Until you get a call that blows you out of the water and you have no idea how to deal.

then hopefully you have a great support team in your squad, unfortunately , you are having issues with that and ita horrible. I feel for ya

[Just Plain Ruff]

I must say it sucks every time you see it. The difference is you learn ways to deal as time passes.

Until you get a call that blows you out of the water and you have no idea how to deal.

Thank you. Yea it's really hard for me say how I will react to the buildup of stress. I imagine, due to the obsessive nature of my mind, that the big difference between me and others is that my breaking point will come a lot sooner. Do you ever get used to the job, seeing people dying and suffering? Or does it suck every time you see it?

Just bumped up my SSRI dose. Higher doses are supposed to work better for OCD, so we'll see if there's any improvement.

Dude, I already gave you a scenario that was nearly my breaking point. Car into the water -5 dead. As long as there is a support system in place for you or that you have that support some other way, then you can do this but with teh OCD how well will you cope with the obsessing part is entirely foreign territory for you and for me to determine.

[Seth412]

Dude, I already gave you a scenario that was nearly my breaking point. Car into the water -5 dead. As long as there is a support system in place for you or that you have that support some other way, then you can do this but with teh OCD how well will you cope with the obsessing part is entirely foreign territory for you and for me to determine.

I can't even imagine running a call like that, especially being the only medic and having to make a decision.

I'm giving myself until Monday to make a final decision on whether I'm going to take the class this fall or not. If not, it's plan B, back to acquiring credits for an accounting degree. It's funny, EMS and accounting have to be polar opposites. I've also put some thought into being a CMA or a Radiology Tech.

[Ringburner]

Feeling you pain.... I don't think I know any medics that don't suffer some anxiety, insomnia etc.... Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

I worry myself sick about jobs that don't go well...... Part of being any sort of clinician I guess Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[Richard B the EMT]

Just for the comedic touch, ...

The psychiatrist told the patient to throw himself into his work. The patient told him it was a bad idea. He worked mixing cement.

[uglyEMT]

Thank you. Yea it's really hard for me say how I will react to the buildup of stress. I imagine, due to the obsessive nature of my mind, that the big difference between me and others is that my breaking point will come a lot sooner. Do you ever get used to the job, seeing people dying and suffering? Or does it suck every time you see it?

Certain things you do get used too. I remember when I first started every call got my blood pumping, you hear the tones and Randy Rescue comes alive. Even for the 3am stubbed toe calls. Then as you do the job longer you start realizing not every call is huge. You begin to find your own place and learn how to calm down and run the call. Its not that you stop caring or become unsympathetic to your patients it's that you learn how to center yourself and become the provider of care. You become the shoulder to cry on, the lighthouse amongst the gail. Then just when you finally "get it" you get hit with a call that turns your world upside down be it a submerged vehicle (Capt I can't even begin to imagine that call) or a 20yr old OD on Thanksgiving or something else you didn't expect to get you.

The death,dying, and suffering part comes with our job, some are easier to rationalize in your mind, others are not and those are the ones that suck. During the call you will be steadfast and be what everyone expects of you, somehow our brains get wired to just do it, its after the call that it hits you. Be it at the ER after handing off the PCR, in the equipment room grabbing something left from a previous call, just outside the doors or the long quiet ride back to the station that it hits. Its at this point where we can give examples of what we have done to cope but in all actuallity we don't know how you will cope. We are all different mentally. In my experiences I have seen things from anger and screaming at walls, someone needing to go to the chapel, puking, crying, all the way to unstopable laughter. We all deal with it differently. What hopefully you get in place is a way to deal with it both in the near term (right after the call) to the long term (the days and longer after the call). That's what will help keep you from burning out too quickly.

I'm glad to see you stuck around. Shows me personally that you do want to be part of this. Your honesty to yourself that you know the OCD might get in the way and are currently seeking treatment for it shows me that you take an honest look at yourself and know your limitations. I hope everything works out for you and we do get to see you become an EMT.