For veterans and first responders, trauma often comes with invisible baggage: deeply rooted beliefs that shape how they view themselves and the world. These beliefs—like “I’m weak” or “I’m responsible for everyone”—not only fuel trauma responses but also act as barriers to recovery. For those who have served in high-stakes environments, understanding and reframing these limiting beliefs is a critical step in healing. Services like trauma counselling Calgary can play a pivotal role in helping individuals navigate these challenges and rebuild healthier, more adaptive mindsets.
In this blog, we’ll explore how trauma in these “hero populations” differs from civilian PTSD, how limiting beliefs are formed and maintained, and the path to overcoming them for a healthier, more adaptive life.
Understanding Trauma: Civilian vs. Non-Civilian PTSD
Trauma doesn’t discriminate; it can impact anyone, regardless of career or life experience. However, PTSD experienced by veterans and first responders differs in significant ways from what we often term “civilian PTSD.”
- Nature of Exposure:
For civilians, trauma is often a single catastrophic event—like an accident, loss, or natural disaster. In contrast, veterans and first responders are exposed to repeated, high-intensity trauma. This may include combat zones, violent incidents, fatal accidents, or life-or-death decisions made under extreme pressure. - Cultural Expectations:
In hero professions like military service, policing, firefighting, or emergency response, there’s often a cultural expectation to “suck it up” and remain stoic. Vulnerability is seen as weakness, which discourages open conversations about trauma and its effects. - Role of Vicarious Trauma:
Veterans and first responders often experience trauma secondhand—witnessing loss, destruction, or violence repeatedly. This cumulative exposure can be as debilitating as experiencing the event firsthand, yet it’s often dismissed because “it didn’t happen to me.”
This distinction matters because trauma responses, such as hyper-vigilance, emotional shutdown, or isolation, can be amplified in non-civilian populations due to the accumulation of traumatic events and the pressure to remain resilient.
The Role of Limiting Beliefs in Trauma Responses
At the core of trauma recovery lies the understanding that how we process trauma depends heavily on the beliefs we carry about ourselves and the world. For veterans and first responders, limiting beliefs often emerge as survival strategies in high-stress environments. However, these beliefs can become maladaptive when carried into civilian life.
Here are some of the most common limiting beliefs seen in these populations and how they impact recovery:
1. “I’m Weak”
For many veterans and first responders, admitting to trauma feels like admitting weakness. This belief often stems from a culture where strength and resilience are valued above all else. Showing vulnerability—whether it’s discussing emotions or asking for help—is seen as failing to meet the “hero” archetype.
Impact:
- Suppressing emotions rather than processing them.
- Avoiding therapy or mental health support.
- Feeling shame or guilt for struggling, even when trauma responses are completely natural.
Reframe:
“Strength doesn’t mean suppressing my pain; it means facing it.”
Acknowledging trauma takes immense courage. Strength lies not in ignoring what hurts but in confronting it head-on. Seeking help is not a failure—it’s a testament to resilience.
2. “I’m Responsible for Everyone”
Veterans and first responders often carry an ingrained sense of responsibility for others. On the battlefield, in a fire, or during an emergency call, being responsible is necessary for survival. However, this belief can become overwhelming when it generalizes to every aspect of life.
Impact:
- Hypervigilance: Constantly scanning for threats, even in safe environments.
- Burnout: Overextending to “save” family, friends, or coworkers.
- Guilt: Feeling personally responsible for outcomes beyond their control.
Reframe:
“I can care for others without sacrificing myself.”
It’s important to recognize that responsibility has boundaries. You are not responsible for everyone’s safety, happiness, or actions. Learning to trust others and focus on what you can control creates balance.
3. “I’m Alone”
The sense of camaraderie found in military units, firehouses, or police squads is unmatched. This connection can make the transition to civilian life feel incredibly isolating. Veterans and first responders often feel that no one outside their profession can truly understand their experiences.
Impact:
- Social withdrawal and avoidance.
- Difficulty reintegrating into civilian life.
- Suppressing emotions to avoid “burdening” others.
Reframe:
“I can connect with others while honoring my experience.”
Isolation doesn’t protect you—it prolongs suffering. Reaching out to trusted friends, support groups, or therapists creates space for connection without judgment. Shared experiences build bridges, even if others haven’t walked the same path.
How we Recondition Limiting Beliefs
Trauma can deeply imprint on the psyche, especially for those who have served on the frontlines. Veterans and first responders often face unique challenges, carrying invisible scars that disrupt their lives. The ShiftGrit Therapy Program offers a structured, impactful way to address and heal these wounds, transforming limiting beliefs into empowering perspectives.
Step 1: Understanding Limiting Beliefs
- Trauma often encodes limiting beliefs like “I am unsafe” or “I am powerless.” These beliefs act as identity statements, shaping how individuals perceive themselves and the world around them.
- ShiftGrit’s Pattern Theory explains how these beliefs develop from early non-nurturing experiences or acute traumatic events during service, creating patterns of maladaptive behaviours, thoughts, and emotional responses.
Step 2: The Enriched Intake Session
- Therapy begins with a comprehensive intake. Clinicians take on a “detective” stance to uncover key details about the client’s current functioning, strengths, and non-nurturing elements from their past.
- For veterans and first responders, this includes exploring service-related incidents and early life experiences that contributed to their limiting beliefs.
Step 3: Educating the Cognitive Mind
- Clients are introduced to the concept of the “walnut brain” (the primitive, threat-driven part of the brain) and the cognitive mind (logical and strategic). This separation helps them understand how the brain reacts to triggers and why trauma keeps resurfacing.
- Therapists explain the cycle of limiting beliefs, dysfunctional needs, and opt-out behaviours, illustrating how these patterns reinforce trauma.
Step 4: Mapping Patterns
During subsequent sessions, therapists help clients map their specific patterns. For example:
- Limiting Belief: “I am helpless.”
- Dysfunctional Need: “I need to control everything.”
- Opt-Out Behaviour: “I avoid confrontation by withdrawing from relationships.”
This process lays the groundwork for targeting maladaptive patterns.
Step 5: Reconditioning Through Imaginal Exposure
- ShiftGrit employs imaginal exposure to create extinction of limiting beliefs. Clients revisit triggering memories in a controlled, safe environment, allowing them to process and reframe these experiences.
- Veterans and first responders might revisit specific service-related incidents, guided by the therapist to challenge the belief systems formed during those moments.
Why This Matters: Moving From Survival to Thriving
For veterans and first responders, reframing limiting beliefs is a critical step toward healing trauma. These beliefs—while once adaptive—can become barriers to connection, growth, and fulfillment. By recognizing and challenging them, individuals can move from a survival mindset to one where they thrive, reconnect, and find purpose.
Final Thoughts – Trauma Counselling Calgary
Trauma may shape your story, but it doesn’t have to define your identity. Whether you’re a veteran, a first responder, or someone supporting a loved one, understanding the role of limiting beliefs can create space for healing. Seeking help isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s an act of courage. You don’t have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders alone.
If you’re ready to begin your journey of healing, start small. Recognize your strength, challenge the beliefs holding you back, and reach out for support. Healing is possible—one step, one belief, and one connection at a time.
032: Beyond the Call: Navigating Trauma and Transition for Veterans and First Responders
n this episode of The Shift Show, Andrea McTague and Amy Gale discuss the unique mental health challenges faced by veterans and first responders, including the impact of trauma, the importance of social connections, and the transition to civilian life. They explore strategies for resilience, the role of humour in healing, and the significance of finding purpose after service. The conversation emphasizes the need for support systems and the potential for trauma to be integrated into one’s identity as a source of strength.