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Code 3 Podcast: A female firefighter’s struggle with PTSD

Christy Warren shares why she left the fire service and now works at a trauma retreat for first responders

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PTSD has been seen as a sign of weakness, and, to some degree, it still is, unfortunately.

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Firefighters are well aware of the pain of PTSD. They’re also often familiar with the stigma that comes with it. We’ve talked about these topics on the Code 3 Podcast in the past, but in this episode, we’re looking at the issue from the perspective of a female firefighter.

PTSD has been seen as a sign of weakness, and, to some degree, it still is, unfortunately. The judgment can even come from firefighters who are experiencing PTSD themselves.

Christy Warren is a retired Captain from the Berkeley (California) Fire Department. She has 25 years of service as a paramedic, with 17 years as a firefighter. She was diagnosed with PTSD in May 2014 and even considered suicide.

Warren ultimately left the fire service and now serves as a peer at the West Coast Post Trauma Retreat. Warren shares her story.

Code 3 is hosted by award-winning journalist Scott Orr, who has covered the fire/EMS/police beat for most of his 30-plus year career in news. He’s worked around the country in both TV and print. Orr was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease over a decade ago, but that doesn’t stop him from interviewing fire service leaders on issues that concern firefighters around the nation.

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