First Responder Mental Health

Want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money to benefit Greensboro Firefighters Charitable Fund, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

My name is Marty Redden and I am a Firefighter. This past February I was promoted and decided that I wanted to try and set a better example, so I got back in the gym. For a while it had been hit or miss and I not only wanted to set an example, but wanted to feel better both physically and MENTALLY. Mental health in my profession is a hot topic, as it should be. There are so many of us that are dealing with things that we don’t even realize. For the past 2 years I myself have battled through bouts of anxiety, something that I have never experienced before. For almost 10 years I did this job and seen stuff that I just accepted as part of it, but without thinking about how it was affecting me. I tried my best to leave it at the station and not take it home, not talk about bad calls or calls I could relate to. It is in my opinion that over the years this just built up inside of me, and then all came to a head when I had too many irons in the fire, no pun intended. Family life at home, being a firefighter, working a part time job, I had started studying for my first attempt to be promoted, and all the meanwhile I basically stopped working out and became sedentary. Add all of this to a couple yearly physicals and I started to see numbers trending in the wrong direction, which I think was the trigger. From then on it was, what is wrong with me, do I have this, do I have that, am I going to be ok, what is causing all of this, what does Google say (PS never google any symptoms). Finally, I was able to find someone who was not only a former fireman but veteran, and had experienced the same thing. I was able to talk to him, and whether he knew it or not it started me down the right path to coming out of it. It took some Dr. visits for affirmation, and then I got back in the gym like I said previously and I could just feel my mental health get better the more I talked about it and the more I took care of myself. I had opened up to my wife as well and she has been my rock.

Now, I tell you this because there are so many first responders, veterans, nurses, etc…that deal with this exact same thing. However, I feel that most of us choose to keep it inside for whatever reason, and this is the reason for this page and fundraiser. About May I set myself a goal to run a half marathon in October. It was at first solely to keep me motivated and in the gym. Then I went to sign up for it and pay my registration and it asked me what I was running for, if anything. I sat and thought, and was like I should run for something but what and I stopped registering until I could figure it out. It was my very next shift that as soon as I walked in I was met at the door with the information that one of our own had taken his life. Now I don’t know any specifics or reasons why, but I do know that it happens in our line of work. That night at the station I was thinking about what had happened, and it led me to think about my anxiety and journey, and that’s when I realized that is what I wanted to run for. I want to not only raise awareness for mental health in first responders, but also if possible would like to help someone if I could. I got in touch with the right people from my department and so I am going to be raising money for the Greensboro Firefighters Charitable Fund with a special interest in mental health. The fund does all sorts of great things, however the money I raise will be set aside to help anyone who may be struggling with mental health issues whether it be anxiety, PTSD, suicidal thoughts or any other form of mental health issues. So if you are able, please donate and help me to help others. And most importantly if you need help please feel free to reach out to me, and I will do my best to point you in the right direction for help.