ONE
ONE SOLUTION. A CLOSER LOOK AT A THERAPY THAT
IS USED WITH TRADITIONAL
.
. >>
. >> EVERYBODY IS CHALLENGED.
EVERYBODY HAS THINGS THEY HAVE
TO FIGURE OUT.
>> FOR ME MOST OF THE TRAUMA
COMING UP WAS TRIGGERED BY THAT
CAR ACCIDENT.
CAR ACCIDENT. .
.
. >>
. >> IT'S
. >> IT'S NOT NORMAL FOR PEOPLE
TO SEE ALL THOSE THINGS.
.
. >>
. >> IT
. >> IT CHANGES THE WAY
CLINICIANS CONCEPTUALIZE
CLINICIANS CONCEPTUALIZE TREATMENT.
TREATMENT. >> Reporter: MEMORIES, WE CARRY
THEM FROM YESTERDAY TO TODAY.
HE HAS LITTLE MEMORY OF A TIME
WHEN HE DIDN'T WANT TO DO THIS.
>> I LOVED EVERYTHING THERE WAS
ABOUT FIRE FIGHTING.
>> THE FIRE STATION NEAR HIS
CHILDHOOD HOME WELCOMED HIM IN.
>> I WAS STILL IN 8th GRADE.
ALMOST TO HIGH SCHOOL.
AND I WAS RESPONDING TO CALLS
WITH FIREFIGHTERS AND
PARAMEDICS.
PARAMEDICS. TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.
TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. CARDIAC ARRESTS.
CARDIAC ARRESTS. BUILDINGS ON FIRE.
DRUG OVERDOSES.
DRUG OVERDOSES. >> Reporter: HE WAS HELPING AND
RESPONDING AND SEEING REALLY
BAD THING.
BAD THING. >> I WAS 17-YEARS-OLD AND
RESPONDED TO A FATAL CAR
ACCIDENT THAT INVOLVED A GIRL
WHO I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH.
IT IS ALL THOSE JUST LITTLE
THINGS THAT ADD UP OVER TIME.
>> Reporter: ONE YEAR BECAME
TWO AND THEN AND NOW 20 YEARS
OF RESPONDING.
OF RESPONDING. EVERY CALL ADDING TO HIS MEMORY
BANK.
BANK.
BANK. >>
BANK. >> YOU KNOW, THEY ARE ALL
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW? FIREFIGHTERS HAVE THEIR OWN
LIVE.
LIVE.
LIVE. THEY HAVE CHILDREN.
THEY HAVE WIVES.
THEY HAVE HUSBANDS.
>> AFTER I WOULD GO TO THEM
WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS
IT WAS PROBABLY TWO YEARS AGO
WHEN IT STARTED, I WOULD HAVE
NIGHTMARES AFTER I GOT HOME
FROM THEM AND THEY WERE WORSE
THAN ANY OF THE SCENES I HAVE
SEEN.
SEEN.
SEEN. WOKE UP TERRIFIED AND THERE
WASN'T ANY WAY THAT COULD MAKE
THAT BETTER.
THAT BETTER. >> TRAUMA COULD BE VERY SMALL
THING.
THING.
THING. IT
THING. IT IS SOMETHING THAT OVERWHELMS
YOUR ABILITY TO COPE.
>> Reporter: THAT SEE
NIGHTMARES INCREASED, HE KNEW
IT WAS PTSD.
EXCEPT HE DIDN'T TELL ANYONE.
HE WENT ON LINE TO LOOK FOR
HELP.
HELP.
HELP. >>
HELP. >> BACK WHEN I STARTED AND
THROUGH TIME I WAS A
FIREFIGHTER, NO ONE EVER TALKED
ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH.
IT WAS THE UNSPOKEN EXPECTATION
THAT YOU DEALT WITH IT AND YOU
MOVED ON.
MOVED ON.
MOVED ON. >> Reporter: HE TURNED TO EMDR.
IT HELPS PEOPLE HEAL FROM
EMOTIONAL DISTRESS.
EMOTIONAL DISTRESS. IT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 25
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. THERAPISTS USE A LIGHT BAR AND
A TAPPING TECHNIQUE TO HELP
PATIENT RES PROCESS TRAUMATIC
INJURIES.
INJURIES.
INJURIES. IT COULD HELP THE BRAIN HEAL
ITSELF.
ITSELF.
ITSELF. >> AT FIRST CAN FEEL REALLY
AWKWARD FOR THE CLIENT.
YOU KNOW, TO BE SITTING THERE
AND TRYING TO FOLLOW THE LIGHTS
WHILE THINKING ABOUT AN
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. IT MAKES THE EXPERIENCES MORE
MANAGEABLE.
MANAGEABLE. IT CHANGES OUR BEHAVIOR.
CHANGES THE WAY WE FEEL ABOUT
THOSE EXPERIENCES AND THE WAY
WE AS A RESULT INTERACT WITH
PEOPLE AND INTERACT AND RESPOND
TO OTHER EXPERIENCES.
>> Reporter: HE ADMITS HE WAS
SKEPTICAL.
SKEPTICAL. >> AND IT -- IT'S LIKE MAGIC.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER WAY I
CAN DESCRIBE IT.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. WE WILL GET STARTED AGAIN.
>> Reporter: TRAINING SESSIONS
TAKE PLACE AROUND THE METRO
AREA.
AREA.
AREA. >>
AREA. >> GOOD.
>> GOOD.
>> GOOD. LET'S DO THAT.
>> Reporter: IT IS NOT
HYPNOSIS, IT IS NOT A CURE.
IT DOES ALLOW SOMEONE TO
REMEMBER A PAINFUL EXPERIENCE
WITHOUT TRIGGERING A NEGATIVE
REACTION.
REACTION.
REACTION. CAR CRASHES WILL ALWAYS REMIND
HIM OF HIS MENTOR.
A FIRE CHIEF BADLY INJURED
RESPONDING TO A CALL.
HIS VEHICLE WAS HIT.
HE ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND
CALLED FOR HELP.
>> SEEMED LIKE IT TOOK FOREVER
TO GET ENOUGH HELP ON SCENE.
HE GOT TRANSPORTED TO THE
HOSPITAL.
HOSPITAL.
HOSPITAL. I MADE PHONE CALL TO HIS SON TO
TELL HIM HE NEEDED TO GET TO
THE HOSPITAL.
THE HOSPITAL. AND THEN I WENT HOME AND HAD
ONLY HAD A COUPLE HOURS SLEEP,
BROKE DOWN IN THE SHOWER WHEN I
WAS AT HOME.
PUT MY UNIFORM ON AND CAME TO
WORK FOR 24 HOURS.
IT WAS A DEEP FEELING OF
LONELINESS ON SCENE WITH HIM.
THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO
FOR HELP OTHER THAN CALL FOR
HELP.
HELP.
HELP. IT
HELP. IT ALLOWED ME TO DESCRIBE IT
JUST LIKE I DID NOW AND I
DIDN'T FORGET ANY OF THE
MEMORIES BUT I CAN TALK ABOUT