Appreciation post for the 2 Toronto paramedics that saved my day today.
Today was a hard day for me. I have had a history of anxiety and OCD and today I experienced a mental health crisis in the form of a very bad panic attack on what might go down as the Hangover from Hell. I genuinely felt like I was going to have a heart attack, and in fact, I was close to passing out when the paramedics came to my house and attended to me
Paramedics N and E didn't just do their jobs well - they left a long-lasting impression on me for their empathy, understanding, patience, and well-needed humor. They spent 2 hours with me, from the point they came to my house to the point of dropping me off to the hospital for my physical examination with the doctor and a chat with the hospital's mental health department, to rule out any heart issues and make sure I am taking care of my mental health moving forward. I was so insecure and afraid that if my situation was just a panic attack, that I was wasting their time and tax payer money. Not once did N or E make me feel this way, always reminding me that mental health is health.
10 hours late, I am back in bed, feeling rattled but also very touched. They joked with me, took care of me, and kept my mood from spiraling, all the while ensuring they weren't belittling me or coddling me. Genuinely, they were born to do this job. I said to my partner "I wish I could be their friend, they're so cool."
Anyway - my point is: thank you N and E. You turned a traumatizing event into one that made me feel good somehow at the end of the day... and that's truly important for people with mental health struggles.
Thanks for listening to my story!