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EP 30- Nick Wingo, Founder of Gifting Grit: Building Grit and Fighting the Fires of PTSD
You dial 911 and they show up. They don’t wear capes, but their yellow jackets very well could be just that. They are trained to be fearless, quick problem-solvers, and they willingly put their lives in danger with no guarantee of coming home to their families. Facebook
Instagram
They are the firefighters and paramedics of our great nation. But there’s a darker tale that reveals an epidemic where our beloved protectors have no one to rescue them.
Nick Wingo is a former firefighter paramedic who retired to dive headfirst into his PTSD by creating Building Grit, a program focused on helping other firefighter paramedics address the big hairy elephant in the room……PTSD.
Not only is he the Founder Building Grit, but he’s also the Founder of the Non-Profit, Gifting Grit, focused on helping firefighter paramedics across the nation source mental health coverage, cover co-pays and other out of pocket expenses. Nick is a best-selling author, and podcast host.
Today, Jeff and Nick waste no time kicking down the door on the mental health crisis amongst firefighter paramedics in our country. Nick shares the number of “line of duty” deaths compared to the staggering estimate of suicides amogst this unique group of individuals. Jeff voices his outrage at the mental health system and Nick shares the slow process of bringing this all to light by simply doing one simple thing……….finding help for himself. He talks candidly about his experiences as a firefighter and specific instances that, over time pushed him over the edge and into treatment for PTSD. Jeff and Nick discuss drinking, suicide, and how it’s all connected to firefighting paramedics. Gifting Grit is a non-profit started by Nick to help others like himself secure mental health treatment before it’s too late.
What You'll Learn:
- The number of Nick’s friends who died in non-duty related situations
- What inspired Nick to start Gifting Grit during treatment
- One big hairy audacious goal Nick has as a result of being spit out by the organizational structure within the firefighting paramedic organization
- The effects of his Nick’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and what he battles with on a weekly basis
- Nick’s plan for a 3-Day event to help people through PTSD based on things that are currently working for them
- When Nick discovered he was shoving his emotions deep down
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Effects of Alcohol and PTSD
- What happens to the brain when you can’t get out of your own way and how to solve it doing one simple thing
- Cyclic natures and how to break them
- How many firefighters die each year from “Line of Duty” related circumstances
- The estimated suicide rate within the community of firefigher paramedics
- One multifaceted focus that has helped Nick live an enhanced life on his journey to help a million people
- And much more!
FAVORITE QUOTE:
“I should never have to be a dime out of pocket if my job was the one that caused me this mental health stress, nor should anybody else. And let’s be honest, the drinking and drug problems come as a direct result of the stresses of the job. They’re a direct result of the trauma they deal with. Now, do we all have a choice in how we deal with it? Absolutely. But if you’re not taught tools or ways to deal with this (trauma), you’re going to end up in this position.”
-Nick Wingo
Connect with Nick:
Nick Wingo’s Website
How to Get Involved:
Addicted to Winning connects listeners through stories that prove why mindset matters. Jeff Brekken was working a 60-hour week on his family’s farm by the time he was 10. When he wasn’t helping with the harvest, he was at the hockey rink. Jeff’s early life experiences taught him he needs to be either all-in or all-out.
In 2000 he started a single-family home construction business and by 2008 he was looking for his next big thing. Jeff founded the Blue Sky Benefit Solutions & Rise Above HR/Recruiting on top of a lifelong passion for helping people. Through this show, Jeff will take that passion one step further.
If you enjoyed this episode, head over and visit us on Apple Podcasts - leave a review and let us know what you thought! Your feedback keeps us going. Thanks for helping.
View all episodes
By Jeff Brekken
4.8
3434 ratings
You dial 911 and they show up. They don’t wear capes, but their yellow jackets very well could be just that. They are trained to be fearless, quick problem-solvers, and they willingly put their lives in danger with no guarantee of coming home to their families. Facebook
Instagram
They are the firefighters and paramedics of our great nation. But there’s a darker tale that reveals an epidemic where our beloved protectors have no one to rescue them.
Nick Wingo is a former firefighter paramedic who retired to dive headfirst into his PTSD by creating Building Grit, a program focused on helping other firefighter paramedics address the big hairy elephant in the room……PTSD.
Not only is he the Founder Building Grit, but he’s also the Founder of the Non-Profit, Gifting Grit, focused on helping firefighter paramedics across the nation source mental health coverage, cover co-pays and other out of pocket expenses. Nick is a best-selling author, and podcast host.
Today, Jeff and Nick waste no time kicking down the door on the mental health crisis amongst firefighter paramedics in our country. Nick shares the number of “line of duty” deaths compared to the staggering estimate of suicides amogst this unique group of individuals. Jeff voices his outrage at the mental health system and Nick shares the slow process of bringing this all to light by simply doing one simple thing……….finding help for himself. He talks candidly about his experiences as a firefighter and specific instances that, over time pushed him over the edge and into treatment for PTSD. Jeff and Nick discuss drinking, suicide, and how it’s all connected to firefighting paramedics. Gifting Grit is a non-profit started by Nick to help others like himself secure mental health treatment before it’s too late.
What You'll Learn:
- The number of Nick’s friends who died in non-duty related situations
- What inspired Nick to start Gifting Grit during treatment
- One big hairy audacious goal Nick has as a result of being spit out by the organizational structure within the firefighting paramedic organization
- The effects of his Nick’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and what he battles with on a weekly basis
- Nick’s plan for a 3-Day event to help people through PTSD based on things that are currently working for them
- When Nick discovered he was shoving his emotions deep down
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Effects of Alcohol and PTSD
- What happens to the brain when you can’t get out of your own way and how to solve it doing one simple thing
- Cyclic natures and how to break them
- How many firefighters die each year from “Line of Duty” related circumstances
- The estimated suicide rate within the community of firefigher paramedics
- One multifaceted focus that has helped Nick live an enhanced life on his journey to help a million people
- And much more!
FAVORITE QUOTE:
“I should never have to be a dime out of pocket if my job was the one that caused me this mental health stress, nor should anybody else. And let’s be honest, the drinking and drug problems come as a direct result of the stresses of the job. They’re a direct result of the trauma they deal with. Now, do we all have a choice in how we deal with it? Absolutely. But if you’re not taught tools or ways to deal with this (trauma), you’re going to end up in this position.”
-Nick Wingo
Connect with Nick:
Nick Wingo’s Website
How to Get Involved:
Addicted to Winning connects listeners through stories that prove why mindset matters. Jeff Brekken was working a 60-hour week on his family’s farm by the time he was 10. When he wasn’t helping with the harvest, he was at the hockey rink. Jeff’s early life experiences taught him he needs to be either all-in or all-out.
In 2000 he started a single-family home construction business and by 2008 he was looking for his next big thing. Jeff founded the Blue Sky Benefit Solutions & Rise Above HR/Recruiting on top of a lifelong passion for helping people. Through this show, Jeff will take that passion one step further.
If you enjoyed this episode, head over and visit us on Apple Podcasts - leave a review and let us know what you thought! Your feedback keeps us going. Thanks for helping.