>> IT’S NO SECRET THAT THE PANDEMIC HAS TAKEN A TOLL ON ALL OF US. AND IT’S ALSO
CREATED SO MANY MENTAL HEALTH
ISSUES, ESPECIALLY FOR FIRST
RESPONDERS AND FRONTLINE
HEALTHCARE WORKERS. MANY HAVE
DEVELOPED POST TRAUMATIC
STRESS DISORDER WITH SYMPTOMS
SIMILAR TO MILITARY VETERANS.
THE SIGNS CAN BE VERY
DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE AND
HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH
AFFECTED LOVED ONES CAN ALSO
BE VERY DIFFICULT. SO JOINING
ME NOW VIA ZOOM TO TAKE A
CLOSER LOOK AT THIS ISSUE AND
HOW FAMILY AND FRIENDS CAN
HELP IS BRANDY LEE BAKER.
SHE’S A CO FOUNDER OF THE CODE
9 PROJECT. THAT’S AN
ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS TO
VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS
SUFFERING FROM PTSD. SHE
JOINING ME THE END ZONE
ACTUALLY OVER THE PHONE. SO
BRANDI, ARE WHAT THIS MORNING?
BRANDY LEE?
>> I AM. GOOD MORNING GRAN AND
THANK MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
ABSOLUTELY.
>> SO TO START OFF, HOW CAN
THE PANDEMIC STRESS LEAD TO
PTSD?
>> YOU KNOW, DAY TO DAY,
RESPOND TO IT AND KNOW, IT’S A
TREMENDOUS STRAIN ON A ON A
PERSON’S NERVOUS SYSTEM FOR
JUST THE JOB FELL ITS HIGHLY
DRESS FIRES, ONGOING,
IMPORTANT RESOURCES THAT, YOU
KNOW, ORGANIZATION IS SO
COMMITTED TO AWAKENING THE
PUBLIC FEELING PROVIDING THOSE
PRESENT PROVISION NATIONWIDE.
IN ADDITION, WE’VE ALL BEEN
AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC. WE
LAW OF FAMILY MEMBERS,
COLLEAGUES AND DUE TO THE
VIRUS THAT ELK OUR MY LIFE HAS
CHANGED THE DYNAMICS AND OUR
FAMILY HAVE CHANGED DUE TO.
>> YOU SCHOOL SCHOOL ONLINE,
PRIMARILY NOT CARE AND SOME
THIN FILL IN SOME CASES, YOU
KNOW, HALF. ONLINE AND HAVE
NOT WHICH EFFECTS. THEY CARE
AND CHILD CARE AND SO MUCH
THAT WE DON’T REALIZE. WHEN WE
TAKE FOR GRANTED WHAT WE CALL
911, THAT PEOPLE ARE JUST
GOING TO SHOW UP. SO THOSE
STRESSORS THAT WE’RE ALL
PERSONALLY FACING ARE ALSO
AFFECTING OUR FIRST
RESPONDERS. IN ADDITION TO THE
TREMENDOUS STRAIN AND STRESS
ON THEIR NERVOUS SYSTEMS
RESPONDING TO REPETITIVE
URGENT CALL.
>> WOW. AND WHAT ARE THE
SIGNS? LOVED ONES SHOULD LOOK
FOR?
>> DIFFERENT IN EVERY PERSON.
THERE’S NO ONE STOP AND STIR
THAT. THE BEST THING TO
RECOGNIZE IS IF THERE’S
BEHAVIORAL EMOTIONAL OR
COGNITIVE, MEANING MEMORY
IMPAIRMENT, INABILITY TO
REMEMBER THINGS HAVING TROUBLE
PUTTING THINGS IS BECAUSE IT
CAUSED AND IS BEHAVIORAL OR
EMOTIONAL CHANGES IN YOUR
LOVED ONE OR YOUR CELL. SO IF
YOU’RE FINDING IT, IF YOU ARE
LOVED, ONE HAS BEEN A VERY
PATIENT, BEEN GOING PERSON AND
SUDDENLY THERE, YOU KNOW, VERY
FRUSTRATING. THE WAY PAMPER IS
BEGINNING TO COME VERY SHORT.
IN ADDITION TO MAYBE SOME
SYMPTOMS, PATTERNS ARE
DISRUPTED THEY’RE THEY’RE
HAVING TROUBLE REMEMBERING
THINGS. YOU KNOW, THIS COULD
BE AN INDICATION THAT THEY’RE
THEY’RE NERVOUS SYSTEM IS
OVERWHELMED AND STRAIN.
>> AND IF YOU DO, YOU
ACKNOWLEDGE OR REALIZE THAT
THEY DO HAVE THE SYMPTOMS. HOW
DO YOU HAVE THIS DIFFICULT
CONVERSATION WITH LOVED ONES?
>> IT’S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
AND THERE’S NO EASY WAY TO
HAVE THESE TYPES OF
CONVERSATIONS. WHAT I CAN SAY
IS THINGS TO AVOID ARE YOU’RE
ACTING SHORT ALL THE TIME. YOU
SHOULD GET SOME HELP. THAT
HIGH OF OF COMMUNICATION. I
WAS ONLY GOING TO PUT THE
PERSON ON THE FENCE THERE.
HAVING A MORE GENTLE APPROACH
OR A MORE COLLABORATIVE
APPROACH OF, YOU KNOW, WE’VE
BEEN GOING THROUGH SO MUCH
WITH THE PANDEMIC IN OUR
FAMILY. YOU HAVE A STRESSFUL
JOB. IT APPEARS THAT, YOU
KNOW, LIFE IS A LITTLE BIT
CHALLENGING FOR YOURSELF LIKE
MY CELL. DO YOU THINK? YOU
KNOW, WE SHOULD CAN BETTER
GETTING SOME SUPPORT OUTSIDE
OF THE HOUSEHOLD AND MORE THAN
TELLING.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. REALLY
QUICK BEFORE WE HEAD OUT,
WHERE CAN PEOPLE GO FOR MORE
OF RESOURCES?
>> THE CODE 9 PROJECT DOT OR
OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, THE CODE 9
PROJECT INSTAGRAM. YOU CAN
CONTACT SOCIAL MEDIA OR OUR
WEB SITE. WE ALSO HAVE A 24
HOUR SPAN OF A WEEK PEER
SUPPORT HOTLINE, WEATHER ON
DUTY OF COURSE, FIRST
RESPONDERS, 8, 4, 4, 2, 4, 7,
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH ANY LEE.
WE KNOW THIS IS THE ISSUE
AFFECTING SO MANY PEOPLE.