Nobody signs up for this job expecting to carry it home. Clinical social worker Iris Waichler has spent over 40 years sitting with people in the worst moments of their lives, first on a hospital burn unit, and later interviewing hundreds of firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics for her book Burnt Out.
In this conversation, Arjuna and Iris get honest about the difference between burnout and trauma, the quieter wound called moral injury, and why so many first responders wait years before they can even name what they're feeling. They talk about how men and women often carry stress differently, what families need from the people they love who do this work, and why "nobody's Superman" might be the most important thing a rookie ever hears.
They also talk about what families need from the people they love who do this work, and why kids often sense more than we realize, even when nobody's said a word.
If you've ever felt like you were the only one struggling while everyone around you seemed fine, this episode is for you.
