EP80 Vicarious Trauma And Trouble Beyond The Rubble (9/11) | Erin Cotter-Smith

Erin Cotter-Smith is an Epidemiologist and Disaster Medicine Expert, an advocate for First Responder Mental Health and Wellbeing, a Board Director of World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine, an Ambassador for VicPol Mental Health and Wellbeing Committee, an Advisory Board Member for AFP Shield Project and a Board Member for The Code 9 Foundation.  (bit lazy, huh?)We take a dive in this episode into the emotional aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the toll it continues to take, almost 20 years on, on the first responders and emergency service workers involved.  Not to mention the survivors, families, onlookers and now as we learn, even (and just as significantly) the researchers who are exposed to the realities and stories of those above mentioned lives.  Erin herself, is one of those researchers.  Developing vicarious trauma after 15 years of researching the a group of 9/11 first responders over 15 years to explore the long term impact of responding to the attacks she shares her experience and knowledge around what can often be a bit of a taboo topic.As an athlete the idea made perfect sense to me.  Visualization is a powerful tool, used for physiological results...  so of course, immersing one's (extremely empathetic) self into the memories, experiences, lives and stories of humans involved in such a devastating events is going to produce similar physiological and psychological results..Erin shares some insights into her experience with vicarious trauma, we talk about resilience, about passions and purpose, about the metaphors within life, about relationships, about the mind, about physiology.There is no doubt whatsoever that Erin Cotter-Smith will be back behind this mic with me very soon indeed.The Code 9 Foundation  |  @code9ptsd  |  www.code9ptsd.org.auTiffanee Cook | www.rollwiththepunches.com.au  |  @rollwiththepunches_podcast  |  @tiffaneeandcoEPISODE SPONSOR: Atlas Broker  |  www.atlasbroker.com.au/tiff  |  1300 731 131--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/roll-withthepunches/messageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.