Former B.C. paramedic launches not-for-profit to help first responders with PTSD

Jeff Smith became a paramedic to help people.

But over time, the career he loved became a catalyst for repeated trauma, a thousand paper cuts he says he couldn't recognize until he was officially diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD].

The impact of the trauma and his diagnosis led Smith down a dark path, including thoughts of suicide. 

"When I started my career as a paramedic, I thought this is something that happens to somebody else. I'm stronger than that. This isn't going to happen to me," said Smith.

Now, after seeking help for his own mental health, Smith and his partners have launched a not-for-profit organization to connect first responders with mental health resources.

Repeated trauma

Front-line workers and public safety personnel operate in high-stress environments that can routinely expose them to traumatic events.

A study released in 2017 found around 23.2 per cent of public safety personnel suffered symptoms of PTSD.

Smith worked as a paramedic for 20 years, the majority of that time in Vancouver.

"I like to think of first responders as societal buffers for shock and trauma," said Smith. "We are there for people on their worst days and we have to put our emotions aside to do our job."

He says the nature of the job made it difficult to recognize how other people's trauma was affecting his mental health.

In 2009, he responded to a call where a two-year-old was struck by a truck and killed. Smith shelved his feelings and did his job.

"I remember driving home to my two-year-old son and my young family thinking 'when am I going to process this, when am I going to deal with this?'" he said.

Over time, he turned to alcohol and drugs to numb his pain. He says his PTSD manifested as anger, rage, hypervigilance and sleeplessness.

Smith says he was plagued by nightmares and flashbacks, afraid to fall asleep, knowing he would be forced to relive past traumas.

By the beginning of 2021, after working for years to get healthy, Smith says he was having suicidal thoughts.

"I'd had enough. I woke up that morning and was ready to end the suffering," he said. He was hospitalized that same night and eventually was connected with a B.C.-based counsellor who specializes in PTSD.

Asking for help

The Ambulance Paramedics of B.C., the union representing paramedics and dispatchers across the province, says occupational stress injuries are common in the industry, affecting about 30 per cent of the workforce.

"We work shift work, long hours, repeated exposures to death and difficult interaction with patients, extremely high levels of responsibility and this can lead to, mainly, occupational stress issues, but it can lead to PTSD," said Warren Leeder, mental health and wellness co-ordinator with the union.

Although mental health support is available to paramedics and dispatchers, he says stigma and the outdated comparison between mental health struggles and weakness keep people from asking for help.

Mara Grunau, the president of the Centre for Suicide Prevention, says first responders experience PTSD at twice the rate of the average population.

She says it's often difficult for people to ask for help, especially when they need it the most.

"One in five Canadians at any one time is experiencing mental unwellness. What are the four of the five of us doing? We need to keep our eyes on our people," she said, adding that loved ones often need to initiate that conversation.

"It's those caring conversations that feel like you are doing nothing, that often has the most impact on someone and their life."

Helping others heal

After a year of recovery, Smith now wants to use his experience with trauma to help others heal.

This month, he launched his not-for-profit organization's website, the Detachment Technique, to provide resources and techniques for first responders to help navigate the impacts of trauma and shock.

He says the work takes a preventative, not reactionary approach.

"I've lost too many friends to suicide. I've seen the damage PTSD does to people and their families and I'm really passionate about giving people a voice before it's too late," he said.

If you're struggling or know someone who is, here's where to get help:

• Canada Suicide Prevention Service: 1-833-456-4566 (phone) | 45645 (text).

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (phone), live chat counselling on the website.

• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.