Ryan Mains is a veteran of the Iraq war and a longtime Woodstock firefighter and paramedic.  He has been diagnosed with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder and today Ryan shares with me his experience around how his symptoms built slowly over years, ultimately becoming so pronounced that he had to leave the job that he loved.  
I'm always interested in what attracts individuals into service careers like the army and frontline work and I was particularly interested to hear Ryans story.  It's fair to say he has seen and lived experiences that should only be imagined for the sake of fiction movies, rather than reality.  We talk about his expectations vs his experience and how the effects of being exposed to such trauma can chip away at ones mental health.
Today Ryan steps up as a voice for spreading awareness and helping people recognise and support PTSD sufferers and their families.  He has thrown on his runners for 'Run For Our Lives' to do just this and let's just say he's taken more than a couple of steps in the right direction.
RYAN MAINS 
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TIFFANEE COOK
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