Bulletproof Spirit by Captain Dan Willis

Bulletproof Spirit by Captain Dan Willis is “The first responder’s essential resource for protecting and healing mind and heart”. First responders are there to take care of us, but when you are one, sometimes the emotional trauma that is suffered can present itself in a very real way in your life. This is an excellent book to help those in professions that make them first responders able to enhance their lives and bulletproof their life against the emotional traumas they could experience.

Book Description

“Suicide, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and many more emotional and stress-related problems plague the first-responder community. Hundreds of thousands of these brave public servants have unwittingly become victims of the professions they once loved. However, the suffering that results from a professional life of sacrifice and service can be prevented and mitigated.

As a law-enforcement veteran, police captain Dan Willis has witnessed the damage of emotional trauma and has made it his personal mission to safeguard and enhance the wellness and wholeness of police officers, firefighters, EMTs, emergency-room personnel, and soldiers. Bulletproof Spirit offers field-tested expertise designed to be used by all first responders — and their families — to heal themselves and continue serving with compassion and strength.” – Bulletproof Spirit

My Thoughts

Bulletproof Spirit is an extremely valuable resource for anyone who works as a first responder. If you know someone that is a first responder, this would make a great book for you to give them, too. Sometimes the needed help may be just what they needed but didn’t know it themselves.

The 9 warning signs are important to note because a lot of first responders may not notice them as signs that something is going on with them. These include: isolation, irritability, difficulty sleeping, anger, emotional numbness, lack of communication, cynicism, distrust and loss of work satisfaction, depression, and drinking as a perceived need or habit. If you are experiencing these symptoms, you really are being affected by your work and should seek help. This book is a great start to getting that help because it not only shows you that you aren’t alone with these feelings as a first responder, but also gives many resources on getting additional help that is much needed.

I learned a lot from reading this book. I’m going into the medical profession as a RN very soon, and I can see how a lot of people in professions that are on the scene can suffer from PTSD and being emotionally, physically, and spiritually off balance. Books like this can truly help. I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of Bulletproof Spirit, New World Library, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.