My fellow peers, I am compelled to express to you how invaluable the support I have received from our department has been. My aim is to reduce the stigma behind asking for help and shoot straight with all of you. I have no other motives other than reaching those of you that are "managing in silence" as I was.

For me, it took a life changing event to realize I was not managing and just coping… coping incorrectly. I learned to compartmentalize and focus on the task at hand, the job, the patient. I prioritized my physical health but didn't quite prepare myself for the tornado life can throw your way at times. Your mental health is just as important. I quickly realized this after losing my brother and father unexpectedly within months of one another. Sprinkle in a few miscarriages and some marital issues. I was fried, an empty shell of who I used to be. I was no longer 100% on calls and knew it was eventually going to catch up with me.

After speaking to a close friend, who I consider a mentor, I finally reached out to one of our peer support contacts and was transparent about my struggles. Making the decision to call was much harder than the actual process of getting the help I needed.

I am not ashamed to say I did go to Shatterproof and was there longer than I liked to be, but knew I needed to be there. It is not a vacation, it is not easy, but it works. You just have to make the decision to change and stick with it.

The classes offered through peer support were helpful in different ways than Shatterproof was. I was alongside fellow men and women within our chosen field who were having issues of their own and decided to put the work in. Seeing this normalized some of the feelings and thoughts I was experiencing. To me, evidence that mental health is indiscriminate of rank, race, or sex.

The job, as it is, is tough enough. Some calls stay with you. Sometimes your personal life can bleed into your work. What's harder is staying silent as the tornado rolls through. Talk to peer support, talk to a trusted friend, and ask for help. You don't have to do it alone.

Finally, I'd like to add because I feel it is very important. Every single person starting with admin down was supportive. Not one Chief, DC, BC, etc ever turned me away, made me feel like an outcast, or created an obstacle for me getting to where I am at today.

I am proud to say I feel more myself today than I have in recent years. It's in large part due to the work I put into myself but also the tools and resources provided by peer support.