Ride shines a light on PTSD
Local ambos tell of decades of trauma
SOMETIMES it’s flashbacks, other times it’s nightmares.
After clocking up more than 30 years in the job, local paramedic Ian Showell and colleague Tim Jobling have both been affected by decades of repeated exposure to highly traumatic situations.
Determined to raise awareness of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) the pair has joined a crew of paramedics in The Breakthrough Ride.
The group travelled through Geelong yesterday to raise money for support group The Code 9 Foundation, which provides emergency service workers with support dogs.
“To fully train a dog costs about $30,000, and these dogs provide a significant source of comfort and reassurance that shows people they are never alone,” Mr Jobling said.
The veteran paramedics took some time to realise that they were probably suffering from the effects of PTSD.
“I realised probably about five years ago,” he said.
“It’s a constant exposure of stressful situations.
“We (paramedics) are just normal people who are exposed to abnormal situations.”
Mr Showell said it was his wife and kids who mentioned in passing that he “probably had a bit of PTSD”.
“You can hear the old adage — the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Mr Showell said.
“If you build up all of these things over the past 30 years it can most definitely come to a head,” Mr Showell said.
“We were all bulletproof in our 20s. Now it’s just raising that awareness (about PTSD).
“It’s about prevention as much as possible and if there is anything we can to do help reduce incidents and give people access to assistance earlier.”
A national beyondblue survey of police, fire, ambulance and SES staff and volunteers found more than 123,000 had been diagnosed with mental health problems.
Mr Jobling said the ride was an opportunity for people to sit, talk and recognise the signs of mental illness.
“Hopefully we can steer them in the right direction,” Mr Jobling said.