A Book on PTSD That Might Help Save the Lives of First Responders

Review of ‘A Firefighter Christmas Carol’ by Douglas R. Brown

A Firefighter Christmas Carol by Douglas R. Brown is an intensely vulnerable and personal work. It’s the story of a firefighter with PTSD who is further along the path to suicide than he is willing to admit. Sadly, this situation is highly relevant to American society where mental health is often taken as an afterthought.

You only have to look back at how Simone Biles was treated at the Tokyo Olympics to see how our society completely fails individuals who are going through a mental health struggle. Although some groups did show support for Biles, there was also a huge amount of criticism and piling on.

We often correctly refer to first responders as heroes. These are the people we rely on to help our loved ones when they are beset by tragedy. We expect them to pull survivors out of cars, but we often forget how often they must look upon a scene where lives are lost and there is nothing they can do.

For every glorious moment when a firefighter saves a teenager’s life, there are other moments where the outcome is more than a decent person can bear. There are things that you see that haunt you which you can’t shake off no matter how tough you might think you are. Without help, it’s easy to spiral into a pattern of helplessness and depression.

A familiar story

Part of the problem with writing about mental health is that it’s an extremely heavy topic. It rightfully scares people. It’s an important message, but the question is how you approach it without alienating your potential audience.

Brown’s solution was to use the familiar structure of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This is a clever narrative choice because it allows a framework that lets the reader know what they can expect.

We are all familiar with A Christmas Carol, and we know that the famous story has a happy ending. That, in particular, was important to emphasize in a story like this. Individuals in the throes of depression come to believe that there can be no happy endings. The most important thing a book about surviving PTSD can convey is that no matter how far into the depths you descend, there’s always a way back up. You can find your happiness again. Keep hope!

Vulnerable writing

A Firefighter Christmas Carol is a work of fiction and it’s designed to be entertaining and informative. However, it’s one of those works where you can see that Brown is speaking from experience. He’s very forthright in the introduction in describing his own issues with work related PTSD.

The combination of good storytelling and personal experience make this a very relatable book. This isn’t a story that shies away from reality. Instead, it faces reality head on and provides practical advice and insight.

The book contains multiple stories, but A Firefighter Christmas Carol, for me, was the most powerful. It clearly outlines the various stages of a descent into depression.

If you are a person who has plotted out a strategy for suicide, then this is a valuable book that might provide a guiding hand back to a healthier head space. The message of the book is that you shouldn’t try to convince yourself that your plan is simply academic. If you find yourself having thoughts related to suicide in any way, shape, or form, you don’t have to take it on all by yourself. There are people who can help and you can recuperate the things you’ve lost.

A healthier society

Fire departments and police stations all throughout the country would be served by reading A Firefighter Christmas Carol. This isn’t a book that was written by a psychologist using abstract language. It was written by a firefighter who has confronted his own demons and wants to help others.

Many people feel an obligation to dismiss the pressures and the stresses of life. It doesn’t matter who you are, traumatic events can happen which are too much for anyone to handle. Dismissing or ignoring PTSD can have a detrimental effect on your relationships as well as yourself.

The simple fact is that good, hard-working, decent people are traumatized when they witness a horrible situation or accident. It stays with you no matter how much you might try to forget about it. There are people who can help you handle this trauma. Getting the help you need is the right thing, and that makes it the hero’s choice.

A Firefighter Christmas Carol is an important book that helps take a step towards overcoming the stigma of mental health issues. It’s entertaining, easy to read, and has a message that will save people’s lives. As for the rest of us who don’t work as first responders, this book is a excellent reminder that we should all practice kindness because we don’t know the burdens that other people carry.