Damien Powell

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Australia
Melbourne, VIC
Damien Powell

👨🏻‍🚒
🏨Crown Metropol
🔥28 floors 25kgs of kit
💰Stepping up for Depression PTSI & Suicide

On the 10th of September, I will be climbing 28 stories in a 25kg firefighting uniform to raise much-needed funds for Lifeline, Fortem and the 000 Foundation. I need your help to make it happen — please consider donating as much or little as you can spare.

12/09/2022

Six minutes Forty Eight Seconds…

Was my time to climb 28 storeys on air carrying 25kgs of firefighting equipment. This placed me 19th for my age group and 118th overall.

Whilst it wasn’t the result I initially set out for, I am pretty proud of it as I suffered a lower back injury 3 weeks ago which has not yet fully recovered and has prevented me doing any training in the lead up to the climb.

I am most proud though of being able to raise $1485 so far for Mental Health Awareness and I have been able to hopefully start some conversations and give some insight into PTSI.

I have many people I would like to sincerely thank without whom none of this would be possible.

To and the organisers, sponsors and volunteers at the 2022 Melbourne Firefighter’s Stair Climb thank you for yet again hosting an amazing event that is in aid of such a worthy cause.

To my friends and family, thank you so much for your love, support and encouragement, none of this would be possible without you by my side.

To my amazing corporate sponsor , thank you so much for your generous contribution and ongoing support, I truly value your friendship.

To everyone who donated to sponsor my climb, I can’t thank you enough for your generosity and words of encouragement.

Remember it’s not too late to donate, we are so close to raising our goal of $600,000 for Mental Health Research and Awareness!

I will definitely be back climbing in 2023!

03/09/2022

Just ONE WEEK LEFT…

Until I will be wearing 25kg of protective clothing and breathing apparatus as i make my way up 28 floors — about 476 steps — at the Crown Metropol Hotel.

To raise money for support services, fund research, remove stigmas and raise awareness of mental health issues.

18/08/2022

The annual Melbourne Firefighters' Stair Climb is almost here!

It is an event that raises much-needed funds for dedicated research programmes, dispels stigmas associated with mental health issues, and encourages people in need to get help.

The importance of this cause is recognised by , who is pleased to sponsor for this important event.

Firefighters will ascend the 28 storeys (476 stairs) of the Crown Metropol Hotel while wearing 25 kilograms of protective clothing and breathing apparatus.

13/08/2022

In Four Weeks I will be wearing 25kg of protective clothing and breathing apparatus as i make my way up 28 floors — about 476 steps — at the Crown Metropol Hotel.

To raise money for support services, fund research, remove stigmas and raise awareness of mental health issues.

09/08/2022

PTSI: My Story (Part 5)

The rehabilitation process was lengthy and often difficult. It was also multi-faceted:

The core was weekly sessions with a brigade psychologist to learn mindfulness, coping skills, and overcoming self-imposed barriers. This man is now more of a mentor and friend to me than a therapist - yes, it's still important to have frequent checks and talk about life's difficulties and the calls we as emergency service workers attend, even when everything seems to be going well.

Additionally, there were biweekly to monthly appointments with the brigade doctor and a PTSI psychiatrist. We unpacked troublesome incidents and discussed ways for combating and rehabilitating these dark memories.

During this procedure, I learned that my PTSI was created by a sequence of experiences over time. "Cumulative PTSI" is like the bucket analogy. If we continue to attend critical stress incidents as emergency service workers, each one will fill our bucket a little bit. It's crucial to note that everyone's bucket has a different capacity. If we don't find ways to regularly empty these buckets, whether through formal therapies or healthy practises, they may overflow. I had ended up with a full and overflowing bucket.

Along with regular trips to my PTSI specialist, psychologist, and brigade doctor to address my concerns, I began a lengthy list of medicines and medical trials to aid in my recovery. Taking medication, especially psychiatric prescriptions, is often stigmatised, yet just as diabetics need insulin, people experiencing PTSI may need medication to save their lives. During this time, I was prescribed a lengthy extensive list of antidepressants, anxiety drugs, mood stabilisers, and antipsychotics. Taking these drugs didn't mean I was "crazy" or "schitzo," but rather that I needed some physical intervention to support my therapy.

I won't lie, this was a challenging time, but I was making progress

08/08/2022

In Five Weeks I will be wearing 25kg of protective clothing and breathing apparatus as i make my way up 28 floors — about 476 steps — at the Crown Metropol Hotel.

To raise money for support services, fund research, remove stigmas and raise awareness of mental health issues.

01/08/2022

PTSI: My Story (Part 4)

Work was just not an option; in fact, leaving the house proved to be the most agonising chore!

After visiting the brigade medical officer, I was placed on long-term stress leave and referred to the government's PTSD programme for emergency workers. The issue was the programme had stopped delivering courses at that time due to a lack of funding. My GP contacted a number of Psychiatrists, all of whom refused to treat me because my condition and circumstances were viewed as "too complex."

I had to attend a workcover interview for my much needed time off. The investigator asked me to list every critical incident I'd attended to prove my injury was work-related. Imagine how many potentially traumatic events an emergency worker witnesses in a year, let alone a decade.

Desperate. With no one to help. I actually Googled "PTSD Specialists in Melbourne." to arrange my own treatment. I'd phone and email each of them pleading for help. I feared how bad things would get or what I could be capable of without this critical support.

I ultimately found a Psychiatrist who was a top specialist in PTSI in Australia and connected with a wonderful counsellor - a man I now consider a friend and have learned so much from. PTSI rehabilitation includes medication testing and trials, as well as learning about stress injuries, how they are treated, and what your unique triggers are.

Recovery felt like learning to walk and function again.

30/07/2022

In Six Weeks..

I will be wearing 25kg of protective clothing and breathing apparatus as i make my way up 28 floors — about 476 steps — at the Crown Metropol Hotel.

To raise money for support services, fund research, remove stigmas and raise awareness of mental health issues.

27/07/2022

HELP! You've seen that I'm training for the firefighters stairclimb on the 10th of September at Crown Metropol to help fight depression, PTSI, and su***de.

I could use your support in spreading the word.

Please share this post with your friends, colleagues or even Facebook groups.

Because every 4.3 weeks, a firefighter, paramedic or police officer dies by su***de.

And according to research, our first responders are more likely than the general Australian population to have a mental health diagnosis.

They are also three times more likely to have a su***de plan and more than twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts.

This really does present a sombre picture of the state of a population whose livelihoods are devoted to aiding others.

PLEASE DONATE HERE
https://www.firefighterclimb.org.au/climber/damienpowell/

Every dollar that's donated goes towards funding dedicated research programs, removing stigmas associated with mental health issues, and encouraging people in need to reach out for support.

25/07/2022

PTSI: My Story (Part 3)

I still remember the date my PTSI journey officially began, January 5th 2015.

My symptoms had gotten worse. A lot worse! What was previously overlooked was now simply unignorable.

Driving about, I'd pass places of calls I'd attended and relive them in a filmlike manner. The world would stop, and I'd be back in the moment as if it were a repeat. As a result, I avoided certain locations and sought alternate travel routes. Alternatively I’d avoid places and activities altogether to prevent triggering those memories.

I had a really traumatic call at work the year prior. I thought I had dealt with it, but the details of the call never left me. I started smelling "blood" in the house. The odour was so vivid it was often nauseating.

Frequent nightmares, night sweats, and moments of overwhelming fear and panic. I felt like I was going crazy, I needed help.

My fight for my basic health and well-being had officially begun.

Address

Melbourne, VIC

Website

https://www.firefighterclimb.org.au/climber/damienpowell/

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