“I Deserve This Drink”: The Cycle That Quietly Destroys First Responders

Nobody tells you that the job follows you home. Not as a memory, not as a nightmare. As a craving. The same dopamine and adrenaline that makes you good on duty becomes the thing you're chasing when you're off it, and the ways you find to chase it don't always look like a problem at first. Lona Snell, Licensed Professional Counselor, EMDR-trained trauma specialist, and founder of Grace & Guidance PLLC, breaks down the self-sabotaging behaviors she sees most often in first responders. From the overtime trap to the slow escalation of addiction, she covers the patterns that keep people stuck long before anyone names what's happening.