The Writing and Photography Blog of Kevin J Sabo

The human body is both resilient and fragile.

The fact that it can be both at once seems contradictory, but no less true. I have stood over broken bodies of car crash victims, victims who have suffered tremendous injury yet still fight for survival. I have stood over others who appear uninjured except for the fact they no longer breathe.

I have witnessed trauma inflicted by others without a second thought, drastically changing the course of someone’s life, and yet I have seen people lose their lives over something as simple as pure dumb luck.

The human mind is no different, and bearing witness to the physical tragedies of others causes is enough to shatter the mind of even the healthy. You cannot un-see what has been seen, and the tragedies that unfold before a first-responder should not be witnessed by anyone for that trauma and tragedy is not meant to be seen or processed by the human brain.

With what is seen on the job, it is no wonder that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is epidemic in frontline workers. 2018 has seen too many of our brothers take their own life because of this illness.

This is a call to arms accross all emergency services; we need to END THE STIGMA of mental health issues in frontline workers, and give them the support they need to keep doing the job they love and are passionate about. 2019 needs to become the year for a record low in first responder suicides, instead of the increasing rising trend.

The human mind can come back from the edge with patience, support, and therapy. The human mind can be fragile, yes, but it is resilient as well. It will push for survival even when overwhelmed.

I have been through hell over the last decade with the post-traumatic stress added to the borderline. I have seen incredible growth in the last year, and I am going to make 2019 the best year yet.

Recovery is work, but it is possible and worth it. Let’s push legislators to help those who help others, and show them our disproval with our vote when they don’t.

The human body is fragile, but to quote Dr. Ian Malcolm of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World fame “Life finds a way.”

Kevin