Doctors Think They Know Everything...

Let me tell you about a recent interaction I had with multiple doctors while trying to place a first responder into treatment.  Doctors (most like any profession) do amazing work, have incredible knowledge but when it comes to their overall education on addiction, they don’t know s%&t.  This first responder finally wanted help and turned to the system.  This person was in acute intoxication and sought help through the medical system.  I personally drove the first responder to the emergency room upon his request as the alcoholism was at such a level it was in my estimation impacting their health and wellness.  This first responder is also a long time drinker, with multiple relapses and was drinking a minimum of a 5^th of vodka a day.

I’ve placed 100’s of first responders into treatment over the years and have never ran into anything like I did today.  I already had medical assisted detox, residential treatment and a sober escort set up for the first responder.  Problem was, they were still too intoxicated to get on the plane.  Standard protocol would be to stabilize the first responder, sober them up as much as possible through medication and get them on the plane.  It should be noted that in the home town of this first responder there are no adequate treatment centers or detox facilities as they are all the ones where this first responder takes the people they encounter, arrest and commit.

In the ER the doctor refused a standard taper protocol to be able to get this first responder to travel on the plane due to the fact that if they took all of the pills at once they could overdose and die, too much liability for him.  Really???  Doesn’t that go for just about any medication you prescribe?  He had no response for me when I posed that question to him.  I then asked him what about seizures and if the first responder could receive any of that to avoid a potentially deadly situation.  The doctor again refused saying they monitor severe alcohol withdrawal through fluids.  Again… are you kidding me?  I asked the doctor if he was asking the first responder to go “cold turkey” which we both know can be deadly.  He said no, but didn’t feel comfortable prescribing any medication which should be noted is used nationwide throughout the medical industry.  Obviously the doctor did not like to be challenged and our communication broke down and we left.  What a joke.  

Rounding Third In One Shoe...

"Hi, my name is Julie and I'm an Alcoholic"

All I could hear was “swing for the fence Wimmer” and “knock it out of the park”, over and over and over. So I did. This was my mantra in life. Go hard. Go fast. Keep a strong work ethic, stay physically fit and always help others before you help yourself. Do good. Be good. Always. I had no boundaries in life and alcohol was no exception. Drink hard. Drink fast. And for God’s sake, don’t let anyone catch on. After all, I had a solid reputation to uphold. I can’t tell you how many times I have been referred to as strong and fearless. To me, this is called Guilt, Shame, Anxiety and Fear. 

Guilt and too many other emotions to list for not being there when my six-week old daughter died from SIDS. Shame when my Dad died at the age of 54 from alcoholism and so much shame and guilt turned inward and pushed to the bottom of my soul when my brother Jeff, passed away in August of 2013. He was instrumental in saving my life back in 2008, why couldn’t I have done the same?! We were literally hours away from intervening when my Mom called and delivered the shocking news. Jeff was gone. I have packed these emotions around on my shoulders for years just waiting for that next traumatic shoe to drop. 

Anxiety and Fear can manifest itself in many different ways. I get anxiety and fear when I don’t feel smart enough, pretty enough, young enough. I get it when I’ve agreed to do too much at work or if I don’t push myself to exercise every day. If I am judged, whether negatively or positively. If I have to meet new colleagues or friends of friends. This big dog creeps in and takes over my entire psyche with the blink of an eye. 

Like many of you, I suffer with chronic depression and have done so most of my adult life. It’s a cruel punishment. It’s the slow erosion of self. It is essentially a solitary experience; a room in hell with only your name on the door. Somehow, I’ve managed to “cope” or “mask” my chronic depression through exercise and sports despite multiple relapses over the past nine years, but for scores of us, it can be debilitating. 

Addiction Killed this Cop...

My Dear Friend Terry Marvin

I received a phone call the other morning at 5:00 am advising me that my dear friend and 28-year veteran of law enforcement Terry Marvin had died of a heroin overdose (2016 repost).  Of course the cop in me kicked in and I went straight to denial and then I started making phone calls to confirm his death knowing all the while it was true because that’s how addiction works.  I’ve seen much negative press written about Terry’s death which is being used from my perception as political fodder to further the agendas of others. I wanted to tell you about Terry and what he meant to me.  

Those of you that know me know I’m a pretty blunt person and not politically correct because it’s not who I am.  That being said, let’s get it out on the table, cut through the crap and call it for what it is; no need to sugarcoat it because addiction when left untreated usually results in jails, institutions and death!!!

Terry, like myself, was not without fault.  Yes, he got into trouble while on the job. Yes, he got a DUI and there were probably other things that went on I have no idea about.  I know through my own addiction and dealings with other human beings that many of us have a lot of “baggage” in our closets we keep hidden.  Although it’s human nature, our secrets keep us sick.  Having said that, who the hell am I to judge his life because I too, am an addict and know I am only one step away from his fate. 

I met Terry when he was the director of operations for a treatment center that serves first responders as well as others.  At first I didn’t return his calls, but he was persistent.  I decided to make the trip to see him and see what he’s all about.  He met me at the airport and there he was in his Miami Dolphins jersey waiting to pick me up.  I had an immediate connection with him. We were both cops, we both caused a lot of pain for ourselves and others and we were now both committed to helping those that serve.

The Accidental Addict... It Happens to #1stresponders

By Dr. Maryann Rosenthal Ph.D.

Today, millions of Americans suffer with all kinds of physical concerns that cause them serious pain. They are in need of pain management to help them function and are often prescribed appropriate medications to help them cope and manage their condition. However, because these drugs are so powerful and their need so great, bodies can build up a tolerance for the medications.  They then need more of the drug to obtain the same effect. Eventually they can become overly dependent on these drugs, which can have a very negative effect on their quality of their life.

Prescription drug abuse is the Nation’s fastest-growing drug problem and the “Accidental Addict” can happen to all ages and in all lifestyles especially first responders.  According to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2009, more than 5 million Americans misused prescription painkillers in a one-month period. “Daily, 50 people in our nation die from unintentional prescription opioid overdoses and daily, 20 times that number are admitted to hospital emergency departments for opioid overdoses,” said John Eadie, director of the Prescription Monitoring Program Center of Excellence at Brandeis University. As outrageous as that sounds, a huge majority – more than 70% of those prescriptions were from friends and relatives.

There are many reasons for the rapid and growing abuse of prescription drugs. One is how easily accessible the drugs are from doctors, family and friends.  The other is the diminished perception of risk while taking these legal drugs.  After all, many times these drugs are prescribed for real pain and unfortunately, patients are not always good consumers and do not question their doctors when addictive medications are prescribed.  Doctors tell patients to “get ahead of the pain – if you wait, it will take longer to manage your pain.”  So your brain sends a signal that the pain is coming and you need to be prepared.  Better take another pill. And the cycle of abuse begins. These factors all add to the epidemic and deadly problem of prescription drug abuse in our Nation today. 

The Drug Addicted Cop...

Safe Call Now's Sean Riley

A dear friend of mine always says and he’s right, “We treat our cars better than we treat our first responders in addiction who are going to die”.   When the red light comes on in our vehicles we immediately take the vehicle into the mechanic and have it assessed, evaluated and fixed.  When we’re dealing with the alcoholic or addicted first responder, the red lights come on and as a profession we will enable them to protect our partners (blind loyalty), try to fix the problems ourselves (which only a professional can do) or cast them aside and throw them away as if it is someone else’s problem (the easy way out).  The diseases of addiction and mental health when combined are two of the deadliest diseases known to mankind, yet they are the only two diseases that we allow the first responder who’s brain is incapable of making logical decisions dictate the terms of treatment.  Maybe for fear of not offending them, ending their career, who knows there are many other reasons usually associated with “The Thin Blue, Red, Green Line”.  Ultimately I have determined that the main cause is that “It’s always been done this way in the past”.   

This is why Safe Call Now® exists, an organization that is willing to change the culture and thinking of an entire profession that experiences these diseases at twice the rate of the general population according to some studies and some say even higher.  Who knows?  I just know first responders are dying from it.

I want to educate you about the alcoholic and addict mind and what the first responder may be thinking and doing when they are in this situation.  I am familiar with this because I was “That guy”.  The guy who would lie to your face, smile, tell you everything is alright, convince you that everyone else is crazy, function within the work environment, control the situations, create drama within others to direct the attention away from me and convince you that I was right.  Fortunately or unfortunately I do not think like you.  

11 Years... My Grace is Gone...

My Grace is Gone...

11 years ago today my journey began... On this day I lost my grace, my freedom, my self-worth and my ability to be a productive member of society.  Reflecting back on it, hell I threw it away!  Being on the road gives me a lot of time to think about 23 years of alcoholism and addiction prior to this 11 year journey.

On this day 11 years ago I just wanted one more drink, just one more drug...  My grace was truly gone.  I remember turning myself into the Federal Building in downtown Seattle to the U.S. Federal Marshals Office to be handcuffed, leg shackled, finger printed and photographed.  The same things I used to do to those I arrested.  Now I was on the other side of the bars.

I was indicted by the Federal Government for "doctor shopping"...  No way, not me.  I'm a cop for God's sake.  I live by a code, I have ethics!!!  I'm a fighter, I win, I go home at the end of shift, surley everyone else in America was wrong and I was right.  After 23 years running hard and dictating life on my terms, my world came to an end or so I thought.  I thought I just needed a break from the world until I realized the world needed a break from me.  I'm grateful that the U.S. Courts decided that my addiction was going to end on March 17th, 2005.  The truth is, I don't think I would have ever stopped unless someone stepped in.

I plead guilty because I was guilty.  Time to stop being the victim, time to own my actions and behaviors and either a time to get busy living or get busy dying.  It was one of those days that was the worst day of my life yet at the same time it turned out to be the best day of my life.  I remember treatment, I remember court, I remember not even having enough money to put a donation into the AA basket.  I remember being proud of the first day I was able to put one dollar into the donation basket.  That was a big day for me.

This 11 year journey for me has been hard, it's been enjoyable, it's been devastating, it's been humbling and it's been fun all at the same time.  I guess some would say that this is life?  For me it's been a journey of enlightenment, self-awareness and learning to serve others...  I am grateful.

I just want to take this time to thank those that have come into my life and those I have met along the way.  You have all helped me to create a life that I can be proud of, I could have never accomplished this on my own.  I'm grateful for one more day of sobriety and today I don't need one more drink or one more drug...  I just need to serve others.  Maybe my grace isn't gone???

Las Vegas, The Extremes & #1stresponders

By Safe Call Now® President & Founder Sean Riley

You’ve all heard the saying before… “Sin City”…  “Anything Goes”…  “What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas”…  I’m not sure about that but I do know it is where I got my first opportunity to Keynote and that I’m here about 10 times a year.  This is a city that can be cruel, it can bankrupt you, tear families apart, it caters to all addictions known to mankind and will chew you up and spit you out and laugh all the way to the bank.  Almost a metaphor for the first responder profession.  We eat our own!!! 

It’s a city of all or nothing.  First responders can kind of be an “all or nothing” type of population.  We work hard and we play hard, always has been the mantra.  That work hard and play hard attitude can push us to the extremes.  I lived on the extremes through 23 years of addictions.  It was a horrible way to live, either in total fear or total bliss.

I always strived to get somewhere in the middle and the only way I knew how was through self-medication.  Whether it be alcohol, narcotic pain medication, working out, over spending or anything else I could latch on too.  

How I Save the Lives of #1stresponders

By Cade Saurage from La Hacienda Treatment Center

No, I am not a first responder. I do not know what it is like to risk my life every day on the job. I have never held my co-worker in my arms as he lay dying, never shot a gun at anything but a deer, never been accused of being too aggressive by a company paying me to protect people, never ran into a burning building or had a high-speed car chase. 

Comparatively, my job is safer and my employer more appreciative and I do not feel like I am overworked and underpaid. And because I am not a cop, then my efforts to help the first responder community often go challenged with lack of identification and even a greater lack of trust. But, what I have learned is that most of the time that challenge exists from a third party. A superior officer feels like I won’t be able to help because he knows how he would feel if I was trying. Or, it is wife who feels like her struggle to connect with her husband will be shared with me because I have never worn a badge and I am not part of the brotherhood. Co-workers, union members, police chiefs, department heads, political figures……they understand the mind of an officer because most of them are one and they know that cops trust cops…..period.

But, here is what I know. I know first-hand what it is like to be hopeless, alone, embarrassed and full of self-loathing. I am fully aware of being able to conquer everything I have tried, except turning down another drink. I know exactly what it is like to feel like my whole world is crashing around me. I know the fear that blankets someone when they truly want to quit drinking and can’t. I have had the kids look at me with sadness and been through the divorce that comes with addiction. I have had the job loss, the financial problems, the family’s heartbreak, the tears, the sweats and the shakes….oh I’ve had the shakes…..the sick in the morning and the sick at night. I have been through it all. 

Cops... From the View of a Recovering Addict

By La Hacienda's Cade Saurage

I had the opportunity to sit down and have a long talk with my dear friend Cade Saurage from La Hacienda who at one point in his life and through his addiction was on the other side of the law, now he helps Safe Call Now® save the lives of first responders and is very blessed to do so.

So I pull onto the highway and head down the road, see him sitting in his patrol car as I fly by going 76 in a 70 and then watch as he slowly turns his car around to get behind me. I sit up straight like I did in grade school when my teacher spotted me passing a note. The muscles in my stomach tighten as my ‘anti-cop’ conscious starts firing out the facts…….

“I’m only going 6-miles over the speed limit. Maybe he’s not even coming for me; maybe he is just turning around. Should I exit here and see if he follows me? I can’t afford a ticket right now. I hate defensive driving. My insurance is going to go up. Here he comes. Crap. What an ass. Doesn’t he have crimes to investigate? He must be short on his ticket quota. Isn’t this entrapment?”

And so I slow down to 60 as if 10 miles an hour less will counter the 6 miles an hour I was over. I stare in my rear view and smile while I prep the biggest sob story I can think of settling on the truth since maybe that would be a break from his norm. And he drives on by; doesn’t even look at me. My heart rate starts to drop from 120 and I breathe a sigh of relief. And then I start to think about where I am at today, what I have learned over the past two years through this new divinely-inspired (even ironic) relationship with the first responder community and I thank God, with all of his glory and sense of humor, that He took a young troubled soul stuck in the throes of addiction and misconduct to a life of sobriety, integrity, freedom and happiness beyond measure. And 8 years in, He introduces him to Safe Call Now……..and a community of cops!

#1stresponder Only Treatment... Just Another Gimmick???

By Safe Call Now® Advisory Board Member - Mark Lamplugh Jr.

Recently in the addiction recovery field, we have seen a few all-responder 24/7 treatment programs pop up across the country. These facilities offer first responders complete isolation from “normal” people. The only people the patient is around in the treatment program are other first responders.

On the face of it, it sounds reasonable. The work firefighters, police, and EMS workers are asked to do generates more than an average amount of trauma. And if you ask responders what clinical setting would make them feel comfortable, a common answer might give you the impression that they are a breed apart—a fraternity that is used to depending on cohesion as a matter of life or death.

But it is important for clinicians to ask, “Do these programs that single out first responders work better for their overall recovery?”

Deciding to seek help for alcoholism, drug addiction, or mental health problems represents a major commitment. It may be particularly difficult for many first responders because they work in a culture where admitting that they have a substance use problem equals admitting to weakness. It may mean destroying the sense, arguably useful on the job, that they are heroically invincible. “I’m a firefighter.” “We are tough as nails.” “We don’t get problems, we fight them.”

From a treatment perspective, this very thought process, which makes it hard to ask for or receive help, explains why all-responder programs may not be a good idea. Getting first responders to realize they are just like everyone else will be the first job of any program.

Informed opinion
I spoke with Joel Brier, second executive vice president of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 2928, who also heads up behavioral health for the Professional Firefighters and Paramedics of Palm Beach County, Fla. His 18 years working with firefighters on behavioral health treatment, through a wellness program and employee assistance program (EAP) providers, give him an informed perspective on the issue of responder-only treatment.

“After countless pre-screening interviews, interventions, and working with various treatment centers throughout the country, I have found that our firefighters are really no different than anyone else needing assistance in breaking free from the grip of substance or alcohol abuse,” says Brier. “And in fact they prefer not to be placed where they may encounter other firefighters.”

He says that the placement process for those entering treatment includes protocols to reduce the chance that firefighters will be in treatment together.

Telling firefighters or police officers they can’t get better unless they are in a “responder-only program” is not helping the responder community. And it’s not helping sick responders to get any better. Look at it this way: If someone experienced a particular trauma, a licensed therapist would treat the trauma. That role wouldn't be left to a peer from the profession the individual worked in when the trauma occurred.
“While there may be trauma-related issues to being a first responder, these issues are typically handled by clinicians specifically trained in trauma therapy,” Brier says.

Breaking free from habits
Another problem with an all-responder program is the simple fact that not much is going to be accomplished by responders inhabiting the buddy support system they should be leaving behind—a setting where the talk centers on big fires and amorous conquests. How does this same environment make anyone better? The fact of the matter is it doesn’t. Inpatient recovery works best when individuals make a break from familiar surroundings, underscoring their commitment to abandon old habits.

In fact, the sense of being so unique that you need a special cohort before you can begin your recovery is actually a well-known symptom of the disease of addiction. There’s a saying among those in recovery that “addicts suffer from terminal uniqueness.”


To read entire article on Addiction Professional:  Click here 


 

Does Medication Impact the #1stresponder???

By Safe Call Now® President & Founder - Sean Riley

Here’s something I see too often with #1stresponders that call the Safe Call Now® crisis line.  Officers being over prescribed medication or prescribed medication that may not be necessary for what they’re currently dealing with.  

Let me give you an example; I generally see when a #1stresponder experiences a traumatic event or multiple events they may afterwards feel depressed, anxious and unable to sleep.  They’re searching for answers to these problems and visit their family doctor.  Too often they report that they are prescribed anti-depressants, sleep aids and benzodiazepines (something like Xanax) to deal with these issues.  I always say when you get this combination of three drugs going, at some point we at Safe Call Now® will be dealing with you.

Are we medicating normal feelings to an abnormal situation?  In most cases I believe so.  What gives me the ability or expertise to qualify this statement?  Through 23 years of addiction I was often prescribed these medications and just about everything else known to mankind and experienced their side effects and became dependent on some.  What do I see as the potential problem?  The health care industry is a complicated business and as I view it driven by the almighty dollar.  When I went to the doctor it seemed that I spent less time with them as their volume of seeing patients must increase to sometimes just break even when dealing with insurance companies.  Not their fault it’s just the way the system is set up.

#1stresponders... What is Addiction vs. Dependence

By Great Oaks Recovery Center

When I was faced with being labeled an “addict” I felt defeated. To me, being an addict meant that I’d lost control and needed drugs to function. It also meant that I would be limited to two possible outcomes: quitting for good or going to an early grave. As I tried desperately to find another way to explain my chronic condition, I remembered hearing the term “dependence” and somehow it had a nicer ring to it.

Being physically dependent made my problem sound more manageable than being dubbed a drug addict. But when I was asked to differentiate between the two I was stumped. What is addiction versus dependence?

Addiction versus Dependence: Let’s Define Dependence First

The word dependence is typically used when referring to a reliance on something. That something can be any number of things, such as a person, a system, an object or a substance. Dependence can be psychological and/ or physical. In this discussion on addiction versus dependence, it is physical dependence that is being referenced.

Station House Retreat Appoints Mark Lamplugh

Mark Lamplugh

Station House has been helping first-responders heal and recover through their innovative treatment, assisting public safety workers in returning to their lives and continuing to help others. The Station House rehabilitation center is excited to announce the recent addition of Mark Lamplugh, as Senior Vice President of Business Development, to help expand the program.

Mark brings with him an impressive background as a fourth generation firefighter, and former Captain of the Lower Chichester Fire Company in Pennsylvania. His first-hand experience as a first-responder has attributed to his national recognition in Crisis Stress Intervention through the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress.

“I’m excited that Mark is joining our team to create awareness for this serious problem,” said Admissions Director Jeffrey Bowers. “Studies have shown over 20% of first responders suffer from alcoholism and PTSD.”

Addressing Substance Abuse in Public Safety

Safe Call Now® National White Paper

The most potentially dangerous and seldom mentioned issue facing public safety personnel today is the existence of substance abuse and addiction among its ranks.  With reported abuse rates over twice the national average for the general population, many of those entrusted to protect and serve the communities of America are struggling to hold their own lives together.  For those public safety employees fighting the demons of substance abuse and addiction, they are also challenged by working within a professional culture that has historically discouraged them from asking for help.  In fact, many public safety professionals who divulge their struggles to employers and seek assistance are given the option to quit their job or be let go.  The result, they keep their substance abuse and addiction a secret.  This dysfunctional way of doing business produces shattered lives for those personally impacted by the substance abuse and addiction, as well as a potentially perilous situation for the general public.

Safe Call Now^®, a non-profit organization, offers nationwide, comprehensive crisis referral services for all public safety employees and their family members.  Established and managed by public safety officials, Safe Call Now^® recognizes firsthand the stressors first responders encounter and offers a broad array of training, as well as a confidential, 24/7 crisis hotline staffed by current and former public safety employees. Additionally, Safe Call Now^® is dedicated to erasing the stigma surrounding substance abuse and is committed to creating programs designed to save the careers and lives of those impacted by it. While Safe Call Now^® is staffed to handle a wide array of crises, this document focuses on how the organization addresses substance abuse and addiction in the public safety population.

Click here for entire report