Another nail in CISD's coffin

[Nate]

I went to CISD after we worked the last BP plant that blew up...they had good food.

We don't have any formal CISD, we do provide someone for the really bad calls if someone wants to talk about it. Most people here have the view that they do the best they can and they understand that you'll see the worst of society; but you also see the best too.

[cosgrojo]

Dust- Correct me if I'm wrong here..... Agnostic... right?

It's not about evidence Dust... it's about feel.... Your soul tells you if it's right. Listen to your SOUL Dust, and all your incessant need for studies and "evidence" (pah!) will make you feel foolish.

[Dustdevil]

It's not about evidence Dust... it's about feel.... Your soul tells you if it's right. Listen to your SOUL Dust, and all your incessant need for studies and "evidence" (pah!) will make you feel foolish.

Please tell me you're joking. :?

[cosgrojo]

Joking? About my soul!!!!!?????? Never! *snickering*

I agree with you Dust. CISD (not to mention other stress coping mechanisms that psychologists have made up to keep themselves employed) is a joke, regimented debriefings are counter-productive and in some cases CAUSE the stress that they are bent on dissipating. I was only pointing out how ridiculous the argument is that psycho-babble is largely effective, by using the old religious trick of: No evidence? We don't need it... we believe in it... what more evidence do you need?

[streetsweeper]

C(continue) I(ignore) S(seat belt) and D(drive)

We don't need CISD its the people around us that do. We deal with this OK but its everyone else that can't understand us. Why we are miserable to be around at times. Its not just one call that screws you up its all of them!

CISD is not for us. It's for our employers. Its there way of deflecting responsibility for their contribution in us snapping. They can say that they have a support system in place to help you deal with unpleasant situations.

What a bunch of crap!

[Myrna]

I have been on 1 call in my brief two years field rotation in 911, and the only call I went on, they kinda had CISD in that we all just hung out afterwards, joked, kidded and we ate Chinese. I don't believe in CISD, I really don't get PTSD as an illness in these situations. We know what we are going to see, its more the fact that we don't get upset that makes our bosses wig out.

The one member of my crew who lost it, did not belong in EMS. Crying and carrying on. Had it been a child, (it wasn't) or something maybe tears were inorder, but honestly it was a call to learn from, joke about and figure out how we could do things differently.

I think what OUTSIDE people fail to realize, is the reason we are in EMS. Is that those types of things DON'T bother us. Our bigger issue is lack of support from our bosses. Lack of them undersatnding we have personal responsibilities, and them laying on guilt trips about how they have been in it 18 years and deserve weekends off more then anyone else. WE ALL need time off, we all need time away. 18 years or 18 months.

I am glad that I have awsome friends in EMS who keep me on my toes, run scenarios, and let me vent about frustrations with the higher ups!!

I think we just need to remind our bosses why we got into the field and why they sit at a desk. Someday I will be in the field 18 years and then I will look into becomming an instructor, for now I will see you at scene or in the ER!!! And I hope to never go through a CISD!