From the Introduction
No human being is built to endure the pain, loss, and suffering of others as a way of life. Some of you have been exposed to more violence, fear, abuse, destruction, and devastation in one month, or one shift, than most people will know in a lifetime.
Trauma is defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience, or the lasting emotional response that results from living through an upsetting event. You probably already knew this. But have you ever heard of vicarious trauma, or secondary trauma?
The term vicarious trauma refers to a profound shift in a person’s worldview, brought on by prolonged exposure to the trauma of others. Secondary trauma is a more sudden occurrence, experienced when one witnesses or is impacted by the trauma of another.
Both are common among veterans, first responders, and others who work in service-oriented, helping professions.
Veterans, social workers, police officers, nurses, probation officers, firefighters, medics, parole officers, victim services professionals, dispatchers, probation officers, sheriff’s deputies, correctional officers (and the list goes on), have very different job descriptions, with one critical thing in common—trauma.
These professions attract and employ warriors; those who stand ready to serve, protect, guard, save, rescue, or defend their fellow human beings. You’re a warrior. You’re a hero. You are willing to sacrifice for the betterment of others, and for the greater good. And my friend, this takes a toll.
People who work in these professions overwhelmingly suffer from chronic stress, post-traumatic stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and other job-related ailments. But, because you view yourselves as the helpers, you are often reluctant to seek help yourselves. Add to that the fact that traditionally, talking about your feelings or admitting to mental health struggles has been taboo in your line of work.
This book offers a safe space for you learn about the internal mental and emotional turmoil that you probably don’t admit to. As you read or listen, you can let your guard down, take off your armor and set aside your shield. It’s just you and me. No pride, no shame, and no façade to maintain.
We’re going to tackle these issues together, warrior-style. No fluff and nonsense. Nothing esoteric. Just evidence-based information, solutions, and results.
As you read, you’ll have the opportunity to:
- Understand the reasons you feel the way you do
- Hear from others who have felt the same way
- Face your true feelings and offer yourself compassion
- Learn how to accept help
- Decide how you would like your circumstances to improve
- Discover tools, skills, and processes to initiate positive change
- Design a path forward and start moving in that direction
The book also addresses and supports:
- Spouses, partners, family members, and retirees
If you read my first book, Mindfulness for Warriors, then you know why I’m writing this book. For those of you who are new to my work, I’ll bring you up to speed.
I’m the widow of a first responder who died by suicide. After my husband’s death, I turned my attention away from the work I was doing—teaching mindfulness in corporate settings—and started to look at first responder stress and trauma.
That process kicked off a string of changes in my life. I started teaching first responders about meditation and mindfulness, I wrote the first book, I took some classes and learned how to be a trauma-informed instructor, and I invited a few others to join me on this mission to support first responders.
Next, I created a company to fill what I saw as a void in first responder training and education. Our first responders are very well prepared, tactically, but they aren’t taught how to care for their mental and emotional health, or how important it is.
I assembled a brilliant team of veterans and first responders who were wellness-minded, had previous experience teaching, and were driven to help their peers. Our team offers in-person and online resilience training to first responders around the world through our small but mighty company, Pause First Academy. We focus on holistic wellness and work-life balance, and we are making a difference.
I started this journey by teaching meditation and mindfulness. That’s still my primary focus, although I also present on trauma, stress reduction, self-care, and more. The other instructors have expertise in myriad areas. Together, we provide a wide array of topics to help first responders prepare for and grow through stress and trauma. We’re also working to support retirees and family members.
Mindfulness for Warriors included my personal memoir, first responder and veteran interviews, and meditation and mindfulness basics. In this book, I’m bringing more stories from your peers, lots of resilience and wellness tools to consider, and all of the resources I could gather. My hope is that you open your mind and heart, lean in, and use this information to heal and enhance every aspect of your life.
