Mat Barlow was driving a fire engine when he was involved in a collision. He spent years struggling with symptoms of PTSD: he struggled to sleep, became irritable and even woke up at the place of the crash, in the middle of the night.
Finally, he sought help. His therapist, Dr Jennifer Wild, helped him overcome the devastating impact of the condition.
Mat is not alone, emergency workers are at a far higher risk of developing mental illness. In fact, paramedics are three times as likely to experience PTSD compared to the general population.
But what if it didn't have to be this way? What if we could protect emergency workers from developing these conditions?
This is exactly what Jennifer is aiming to do with her MQ research project. She thinks it's totally possible, bringing hope to millions of people who spend their lives making the public safer.
This podcast brings Jennifer and Mat together. Mat describes the reality of living with PTSD, affecting his work, relationships and family life. Jennifer looks to the future, talking us through her innovative new programme that could prevent problems from occurring.
