- 8,009
- 58
- 48
Ok.... time to open this argument... what do you think about CISM and CISD's???
Jon
Jon
Cism???
- Thread starter Jon
- Start date
Wingnut
EMS Junkie
- 2,027
- 0
- 0
Even though I've never been, I think it helps some, and doesn't others. Individual people deal with things differently, not one system will always help everybody.
And that's all I got to say about that
And that's all I got to say about that
Been to many. My perspective it that while these people want to help, they are hampered, often, by a lack of a frame of refrence. My point is that if there is no possibility of a shared experience, why am I bothering to talk with the counsellor? Have they ever done what we have? Have they ever lost friends on a job? Have they ever had friends commit suicide because of the job? Is this even a possibility for the counsellor to ever experience?
The answers are no. And as such, I do not feel compelled to participate in that dog and pony show.
Some of the jobs I am referring to are Box 55-8087/Cad 0727 9-11-01 17 friends did not come home. CISD did not help me or many others I know.
6/17/94 EMT Christopher Prescott was killed in the line of duty on Eastern Parkway in the Borough of Brooklyn. CISD did not help me or many others I know.
10/2/94 One friend killed himself because of the job, CISD...you know the score.
Same story for another friend who killed himself.
This is just my perspective, and absolutely not an attack on those who wish to help. However, it is too often that I find few understand that without a commonality, there cannot be a connection (for me atleast)
The answers are no. And as such, I do not feel compelled to participate in that dog and pony show.
Some of the jobs I am referring to are Box 55-8087/Cad 0727 9-11-01 17 friends did not come home. CISD did not help me or many others I know.
6/17/94 EMT Christopher Prescott was killed in the line of duty on Eastern Parkway in the Borough of Brooklyn. CISD did not help me or many others I know.
10/2/94 One friend killed himself because of the job, CISD...you know the score.
Same story for another friend who killed himself.
This is just my perspective, and absolutely not an attack on those who wish to help. However, it is too often that I find few understand that without a commonality, there cannot be a connection (for me atleast)
- 663
- 45
- 28
For some it works, for some it doesn't, my release is probably incredibly unhealthy, but it usually involves solitude and wild turkey, then usually humor, CISM/CISD doesn't work with me, because I have my own coping mechanisms, and don't want their help.
Yeah ECC, I'm right there with you, they have no idea what you're going through, if I have to talk to anyone, it's usually one of my associates that has been through it before, not "counselors" who have no experience in what I've just gone through.
Yeah ECC, I'm right there with you, they have no idea what you're going through, if I have to talk to anyone, it's usually one of my associates that has been through it before, not "counselors" who have no experience in what I've just gone through.
TTLWHKR
Forum Deputy Chief
- 3,142
- 5
- 0
I haven't found many things that I can't put out of my mind. A few things have been difficult to fathom but I like to figure things out on my own terms. The local CISD team is not involved in Emergency Services, and none of them have ever done the work. What's the point I figure, they don't know what it's like, so why should we discuss it with someone who really doesn't know what we do.
I find humor, in the right time and place, helps most situations. Writing about it in my journal; or talking to people-not about the incident-just anything to put my mind somewhere else.
I find humor, in the right time and place, helps most situations. Writing about it in my journal; or talking to people-not about the incident-just anything to put my mind somewhere else.
I have been to one of those meetings. I don't think it was something that really helped me. I Have delt with all the DOAs and others that died on me just fine. We just did a CISD here a month ago with a tractor roll over. It was my first one and I was honestly doing fine about it I didn't have to deal wiht the pt I delt with the family. But after sitting in the silent room for what seemed like forever and only talking about the death and what happened just didn't agree with me. I don't cry very easy untill some one else is crying funny how that works. But any how I dont think it really made much of a difference to me I havent had one yet that I haven't been able to sleep after the call.
OP
OP
- 8,009
- 58
- 48
Around here, the CISM team is "for whackers, by whackers" Most of them run EMS or fire in the county, and have gone to trainings to become "cism people"
Jon
rescuemedic7306
Forum Crew Member
- 89
- 0
- 0
I thought we did this thread before but....here's what I wrote last time
QUOTE (ffemt8978 @ Nov 28 2004, 12:08 AM)
As a volunteer FF/EMT, I've been invited to four of them (but haven't attended one yet). Granted, these programs are great for SOME people, they do not work for everyone. I personally feel that I have mechanisms already in place (includng this great forum ) that allow me to deal with this type of stress in a way that is more beneficial to me than sitting around and talking about it with a bunch of people.
Quote: me>>
I've been to 2 or 3 CISD debriefings in the last 3 years, they seem to work for some, but not for others (me). One of the debriefs I went to didn't take place until 3 days after the event which was a BIG mistake. People had already started to deal with it on their own and this just brought it all back. If you're going to use them they need to be no later than 24 hours after the incident.
Strangely, when I started in EMS back in the 70s, CISD was unheard of. We were running 10-11 calls every 8 hour shift so we basically went from one to the next with no time to dwell on each one. It seemed to work ok at the time although I occasionally have a flashback to one particularly nasty Ped call (I was diagnosed with PTSD about 20 years later) so maybe CISD would have helped, who knows?.
I certainly think it has a place in low volume community based services since some calls involving friends, neighbors, and relatives can be really distressing in small towns.
CISD in SW MN is run by police, fire, and EMS people with a few shrinks thrown in, so it's a bit more orientated to the job than it might be otherwise.
QUOTE (ffemt8978 @ Nov 28 2004, 12:08 AM)
As a volunteer FF/EMT, I've been invited to four of them (but haven't attended one yet). Granted, these programs are great for SOME people, they do not work for everyone. I personally feel that I have mechanisms already in place (includng this great forum ) that allow me to deal with this type of stress in a way that is more beneficial to me than sitting around and talking about it with a bunch of people.
Quote: me>>
I've been to 2 or 3 CISD debriefings in the last 3 years, they seem to work for some, but not for others (me). One of the debriefs I went to didn't take place until 3 days after the event which was a BIG mistake. People had already started to deal with it on their own and this just brought it all back. If you're going to use them they need to be no later than 24 hours after the incident.
Strangely, when I started in EMS back in the 70s, CISD was unheard of. We were running 10-11 calls every 8 hour shift so we basically went from one to the next with no time to dwell on each one. It seemed to work ok at the time although I occasionally have a flashback to one particularly nasty Ped call (I was diagnosed with PTSD about 20 years later) so maybe CISD would have helped, who knows?.
I certainly think it has a place in low volume community based services since some calls involving friends, neighbors, and relatives can be really distressing in small towns.
CISD in SW MN is run by police, fire, and EMS people with a few shrinks thrown in, so it's a bit more orientated to the job than it might be otherwise.
Margaritaville
Forum Lieutenant
- 154
- 0
- 0
This is a sore subject for me personally. Over the years I have had several difficult, life altering calls. I have never been involved in a CISD or CISM. I did however find out that after a call where it would have been a good idea, everyone was invited to the CISD except for the paramedics. I probably would not have gone - but if someone would have asked me if I was ok the next day it would have helped. Instead, my phone number was given out to anyone who was curious as to what the call looked like and to what occurred enroute to the hospital. That is something I will never forget. I had to unhook my phone and leave my home to get some peace. Sad.
In the past 18 months I have had some crappy calls that occured 1 on top of the other. I don't know that CISD would help, but a kind word, a how are you making out? would work wonders. Instead, most of us are told - if you need to talk to anyone, you must be too "weak" to do the job. Nice! After all of these years, I am beyond proving myself.
The most unappealing part of CISD is the people who sit on the committee. Ours is made up of ED nurses who are some of the most miserable, and meanest to the EMS providers! Yeah, thats who the hell I want to spill my guts, too. I think I will just pray I make it to retirement.
In the past 18 months I have had some crappy calls that occured 1 on top of the other. I don't know that CISD would help, but a kind word, a how are you making out? would work wonders. Instead, most of us are told - if you need to talk to anyone, you must be too "weak" to do the job. Nice! After all of these years, I am beyond proving myself.
The most unappealing part of CISD is the people who sit on the committee. Ours is made up of ED nurses who are some of the most miserable, and meanest to the EMS providers! Yeah, thats who the hell I want to spill my guts, too. I think I will just pray I make it to retirement.
The team that we had come I think there was like a chaplin, firefighter, and ems workers from other communities. Or so I remember.
We had along discussion about the accident again just the other night during our ambulance meeting. Of course it was kinda lead up by the people that had been around. The one thing I have been told since the begining is that if you need to talk to someone call them and ask them they are more then willing to do so. But yes I would have to say the simple phone call or stopping by and asking if you were all right the day after would be nice to. I know I have had someone ask me that before and it was kinda nice to know your crew does care. I have always been one to check in with the new guys and see how they are doing. Actually the other day after we got done with church one of the guys off the fire department I know was stuggling a little bit so I talked with him after wards which was kinda nice to talk and not really talk about nothing.
We had along discussion about the accident again just the other night during our ambulance meeting. Of course it was kinda lead up by the people that had been around. The one thing I have been told since the begining is that if you need to talk to someone call them and ask them they are more then willing to do so. But yes I would have to say the simple phone call or stopping by and asking if you were all right the day after would be nice to. I know I have had someone ask me that before and it was kinda nice to know your crew does care. I have always been one to check in with the new guys and see how they are doing. Actually the other day after we got done with church one of the guys off the fire department I know was stuggling a little bit so I talked with him after wards which was kinda nice to talk and not really talk about nothing.