Every day, first responders answer calls that most people hope they never have to experience. They run toward danger when others run away. They witness trauma, tragedy, loss, and human suffering on a regular basis. Police officers, firefighters, paramedics, correctional officers, dispatchers, and other emergency personnel carry an enormous burden in service to their communities.

Yet when addiction enters their own lives, many first responders suffer alone.

As addiction specialists who work with individuals in recovery, we regularly meet first responders who have spent months, years, or even decades hiding their struggles. They often tell us the same thing:

"I was helping everyone else, but I couldn't ask for help myself."