Flash Point

A Firefighter's Journey Through PTSD

by Christy Warren

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Pub Date Jun 20 2023 | Archive Date Jun 22 2023

She Writes Press

Biographies & Memoirs | Health, Mind & Body | Nonfiction (Adult)

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Description

For twenty-five years, paramedic and firefighter Christy Warren put each tragic, traumatizing call she responded to in a box and closed the lid. One day, however, the box got too full and the lid blew open—and she found herself unable to close it again. Her brain locked her inside a movie theater in which film after film of gut-wrenching scenes from her career played over and over again; she found herself incapable of forgiving herself for what happened at one call in particular. Caught in a loop of shame, anger, irritability, and hypervigilance—classic signs of PTSD—she began to spiral, even to the point of considering suicide, and yet still she was reluctant to seek help.

In the end, it took almost losing her marriage to force Christy into action—but once she began to reach out, she found a whole army of folks waiting and ready to help her. The team of people supporting her eventually grew to include an EMDR therapist, a psychiatrist, her peers at a trauma retreat, and a lawyer who made the case for medical retirement and workers compensation. Along the way, Christy learned the vital truths that made it possible to keep going even in her darkest moments—that post-traumatic stress was literally a brain injury; that suicide and alcohol were not the only ways out; that asking for help was a sign of strength, not weakness; and that although it was ultimately up to her to do the work to change the dialogue in her head, she was not alone.

Trigger warning: there are some scenes in this memoir describing firefighting situations that might be upsetting to some readers. There is also discussion of suicide.

For twenty-five years, paramedic and firefighter Christy Warren put each tragic, traumatizing call she responded to in a box and closed the lid. One day, however, the box got too full and the lid...

A Note From the Publisher

CHRISTY WARREN is a retired fire captain from the Berkeley Fire Department in California. She has twenty-five years of service as a professional paramedic and eighteen years as a professional firefighter/paramedic. After being diagnosed with PTSD in 2014, she retired from the fire service; since then, she has become a triathlete, completed the Escape from Alcatraz swim five times, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Washington State University. She is a volunteer Peer at the West Coast Post-trauma Retreat and hosts the podcast The Firefighter Deconstructed. She lives in Pleasant Hill, CA with her wife, Lisa, and dog, Harriet.

CHRISTY WARREN is a retired fire captain from the Berkeley Fire Department in California. She has twenty-five years of service as a professional paramedic and eighteen years as a professional...

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A Note From the Publisher

CHRISTY WARREN is a retired fire captain from the Berkeley Fire Department in California. She has twenty-five years of service as a professional paramedic and eighteen years as a professional firefighter/paramedic. After being diagnosed with PTSD in 2014, she retired from the fire service; since then, she has become a triathlete, completed the Escape from Alcatraz swim five times, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Washington State University. She is a volunteer Peer at the West Coast Post-trauma Retreat and hosts the podcast The Firefighter Deconstructed. She lives in Pleasant Hill, CA with her wife, Lisa, and dog, Harriet.

Advance Praise

“...insightful....a vital resource...."

—Library Journal

“Despite focusing on harrowing subjects, Warren maintains an approachable style that has an endearing buoyancy . . . The result is a well-balanced, courageously candid memoir that moves toward a note of hope, reassuring others that the grip of PTSD need not last forever. An honest, informative, emotionally stirring memoir.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Warren brings her incredible heart and psychological wisdom to this page-turner of a book….This book is a gift for first responders everywhere, for the communities who support them, and for humanity at large. It is a must-read for anyone striving to become a better person.”

—Maya Shankar, cognitive scientist and host of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans

“…a book for all of us. What author Christy Warren has captured is every human’s struggle to feel safe, secure, attached, and connected. This is a life-saving book with the understanding that we must take care of ourselves along the way. Warren expertly outlines how she worked through many of her struggles and realistically writes to her failures along her journey even while trying to heal. Her journey is many of ours—her recovery can also be ours.”

—Tom Satterly, Retired CSM Delta Force, and author of All Secure: A Special Operations Soldier's Fight to Survive on the Battlefield and the Homefront

“Flash Point is essential reading. We depend on first responders who are willing to race to a crisis and put themselves in the path of danger. It’s time for us to hear the truth about the immense toll this career can take on a mind and body. I commend Warren for her deeply principled authenticity in this beautiful, heartbreaking, honest, laugh-out-loud funny, and ultimately triumphant memoir.”

—Julie Barton, New York Times bestselling author of Dog Medicine, How My Dog Saved Me From Myself

“Warren's powerful memoir of her struggle with PTSD is both heartbreaking and inspiring. It's a must-read for first responders and the clinicians who help them heal.”

—Ellen Kirschman, PhD, public safety psychologist and the author of I Love a Fire Fighter, I Love a Cop, and co-author of Counseling Cops

“A tough and emotional read but a must-read. Christy dives deep into her life's journey of trauma and, more importantly, her healing and ultimate recovery. I cried and I laughed and I can honestly say this book has helped me dig into my never-ending healing process. If you need inspiration, Christy nails it. Thanks for helping me with my journey, Christy.”

—Clint Malarchuk, former NHL goaltender and author of A Matter of Inches

“Christy captures the constant exposure to exigent calls a firefighter faces. Over time it takes a toll on our brains.”

—Sig Wallen, San Francisco Fire Department

“...insightful....a vital resource...."

—Library Journal

“Despite focusing on harrowing subjects, Warren maintains an approachable style that has an endearing buoyancy . . . The result is a...