Behind Blue Lines
12 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 4 years ago -Exploring the emotional cost of trauma to our emergency services and those that love them. Hosted by Gareth Davies, an ex-police sergeant certified in the groundbreaking research of Dr Brene Brown into topics including vulnerability, shame, courage and resilience, each episode hears from front line responders about how their unique experience of trauma has affected their mental health and driven disconnection in their personal lives. This podcast is a window beyond the public perception of strength and uniformity, into the personal struggles and complexities that a life of service on the front line creates. Guests are from across the globe and represent the full range of emergency services, demonstrating that whilst our geography may change, the impact of trauma is universal. Common themes arising include depression, PTSD, anxiety and suicide. For more information, visit www.behindbluelines.co.uk
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Episodes
James Jefferson - Police Officer and Suicide Survivor
September 30, 2020 17:00 - 38 minutes - 26.3 MBJames Jefferson was in the early stages of his police career when he and his partner found themselves cornered by an armed suspect. With no other option, they opened fire in self-defence, wounding and ultimately killing the suspect. In the following months and years, the trauma from that night took James on a self-destructive journey that would find him alone one day in his car with his service weapon to his head. In this episode, you will: Hear about how James went looking for a hero's de...
JoAnna Staples - Suicide Widow
September 22, 2020 11:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBTom Staples was an ex-Marine and police officer with 20 years service. When you picture a police officer, Tom would be the type of person you think of - strong, dependable, steady. Yet on Thursday 2nd May 2019, with his two young sons playing downstairs, Tom went up to his bedroom and took his own life. No red flags. No warnings. In this episode you'll hear from his wife JoAnna, about the life they shared, the moment she found him and her life since. In this episode you will: Understand t...
Rachel Hearn - Paramedic
July 21, 2020 19:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBRachel Hearn has spent her working life with the Ambulance Service. She has witnessed and dealt with countless potentially trauma-inducing incidents. And yet when she made the call to her employee assistance programme to ask for help, it wasn't because of a harrowing ordeal, but rather that the build up of stress in her private life had brought her to breaking point. In this episode we will: Explore why first responders find it so difficult to ask for help Hear how the job can be a dist...
Gamal Turawa - Metropolitan Police
July 12, 2020 18:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBTo Gamal Turawa, policing represented a chance to belong. Sadly he was subjected to an alarming racial assault within weeks of joining. The racism, discrimination and stereotypes that undermined his confidence and self-worth as a young boy growing up in 1970's Britain, were only compounded by the culture within policing at the time. During his policing career, it was the trauma found at the hands of his colleagues, and not on the streets that took him to a station platform one morning to e...
Letting Go Of What Others May Think
May 19, 2020 19:00 - 12 minutes - 8.68 MBTo what extent does the judgement of others impact your life? How much of your decision making is actually driven by what you assume others will think? The fear of judgement, of being seen as weak or imperfect in some way is a very real barrier to many emergency service personnel speaking out and asking for help. In this episode, we give it a name - Perfectionism, and identify strategies that will help you to let go of what others might think.
Wendy McIlwraith - Police Widow
May 10, 2020 13:00 - 20 minutes - 14.3 MB“More officers die by their own hands than in the line of duty.” In May 2011 Law Enforcement Officer David Mcilwraith stepped outside his house onto the front porch, and took his own life. Tragically witnessed by his wife Wendy, and forever changing hers, she courageously and openly shares his story in the hope it will save others from going down the same path. In this episode we discuss; How repeated exposure to trauma may quickly escalate to suicidal thoughts, actions and distress...
John Millard - Paramedic, NHS
May 03, 2020 20:00 - 22 minutes - 15.7 MBOn Christmas Eve 2003, John Millard was called to devastating incident that forever changed him and his paramedic colleague that attended. In this episode, we hear John share how even following the most heartbreaking events, it is possible to rise stronger and experience positive personal growth. We discuss how the theory of post traumatic growth offers another perspective, where people can thrive despite the shadows of trauma, building a brighter, different and even more resilient futu...
Brent Vine - Hampshire Police
April 27, 2020 05:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBThe cumulative trauma Brent Vine experienced pushed his marriage to breaking point and took him to a place where he began planning his own death. In this episode, we talk about the identity we may assume when we put on the uniform, the masks and armour we wear to survive, and how this can impact relationships with others and ourselves. We discuss how we can push away support by judging the nature of the events experienced through others eyes, and how identifying with a superhero can conf...
Anne Boland - An Garda Siochana
April 19, 2020 11:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MBAnne Boland was always a highly engaged and motivated officer in An Garda, but over time she experienced a succession of traumatic and difficult events that lead to a decline in both her physical and mental health. In this episode, we talk about the challenges of connecting with those inside and outside emergency services, depression and isolation, and how the body gives us warning signs. Through Anne’s enduring quest for greater knowledge she shares how cultivating connection has hel...
Sean Burridge
April 13, 2020 15:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBIn May 2015, whilst pursuing a suspect, PC Sean Burridge experienced a life altering incident that would forever change the way he thought and served. In this episode, we talk about how PTSD can develop from trauma, the impact on relationships and challenges of returning to work on the front line. We learn how being able to recognise, name, and understand our feelings can help us regain a sense of control to look forward to a future beyond PTSD.
Sean Burridge - Surrey Police
April 13, 2020 15:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBIn May 2015, whilst pursuing a suspect, PC Sean Burridge experienced a life altering incident that would forever change the way he thought and served. In this episode, we talk about how PTSD can develop from trauma, the impact on relationships and challenges of returning to work on the front line. We learn how being able to recognise, name, and understand our feelings can help us regain a sense of control to look forward to a future beyond PTSD.
Trailer
April 13, 2020 15:00 - 4 minutes - 3.02 MBAn introduction to Behind Blue Lines - a podcast exploring the emotional cost of trauma to our emergency services and those that love them. Gareth Davies, an ex-sergeant from London's Metropolitan Police, shares his own experience of trauma and the resulting impact on both himself and those closest to him. Gareth is certified in the ground-breaking research of Dr Brene Brown into topics including vulnerability, shame, courage and resilience, referencing these themes throughout the series. T...