Suffering is a huge part of the human condition, which is why we need to build a support system of family and friends and keep the lines of communication open by becoming a better listener.
May 4 will mark five years since I entered the WSIB Mental Stress Injury Program. After a 30-year career as a front-line paramedic, working in a system that did not provide any mental health support to first responders, I had become a prisoner in my own mind, trapped by thoughts of hopelessness, abandonment, and anger.
The isolation worsened because I no longer wanted to see friends or family due to an irrational fear of being judged. I did not know who to trust anymore. I battled anxiety and insomnia, only sleeping a couple of hours a night. When I first entered the Mental Stress Injury Program, I had no idea that I was embarking on the greatest journey of my life. I spoke with a psychologist as well as an occupational therapist, both of whom educated me and guided me throughout my healing journey. They helped me put the pieces of my puzzle together, allowing me to heal.
I learned that the best way to battle anxiety was to turn energy inward and focus on the conscious breath. Journaling became a life changer. It helped reveal that my stress was tied to the toxicity and trash found everywhere in our modern-day life. We all generate it, and are forced to deal with it, but we rarely dispose of it properly. Instead, we allow this trash to pile up and overtake us.
I snapped out of my depression by using the transformative powers of music and exercise, often combining both. I also listened to self-help books while walking outdoors. I practiced the teachings of Eckhart Tolle every day and learned how to become the observer of my thoughts and not to identify with destructive thinking.
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