Trauma & PTSD Articles | MindShift Mentors
The MindShift Journal

Trauma & PTSD

Hypervigilance, vicarious trauma and feeling safe again.

11 articles

Everything on Trauma & PTSD

Start with the guide at the top, then work through the supporting articles underneath it.

Trauma & PTSD

Oct 2026 7 min read

PTSD triggers after you hang up the uniform, and what helps

A siren goes past and your heart jumps. For a lot of retired first responders, the job surfaces after they leave it. What triggers are, why they can get louder in retirement, and what helps.

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Trauma & PTSD

Updated Oct 2026 12 min read In depth

Hypervigilance at Home: Why You Can't Turn Off "The Shield" After Shift

Why frontline workers can stay on alert at home after a shift, what it can cost, practical ways to come down, and where to get help in Australia.

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Trauma & PTSD

Updated Oct 2026 10 min read

Vicarious Trauma in Frontline Workers: Private, Practical Support

Vicarious trauma is the emotional toll of repeated exposure to other people's distress. What it can look like, where to get help, and where MindShift fits.

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Trauma & PTSD

Updated Oct 2026 13 min read In depth

Feeling Disconnected? Understanding Disassociation

Feeling numb, on autopilot or like you are watching life from a distance? Common experiences of disassociation, why it may happen, and when to get help.

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Trauma & PTSD

Updated Oct 2026 11 min read

Disassociation: Why It Happens and What to Do

Ever feel like you are going through the motions, but not really there? What disassociation feels like, why it happens, and grounding steps.

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Trauma & PTSD

Updated Oct 2026 11 min read

Correctional Officer Hypervigilance: What It Is & How to Manage

Why correctional officers can stay on high alert after a shift, how it can affect sleep and relationships, and practical ways to come down.

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Trauma & PTSD

Updated Oct 2026 10 min read

Emotional Compartmentalisation in First Responders: When It Helps and When It Harms

Why first responders set feelings aside on the job, when compartmentalising helps, when it starts to cost you, and where to get help in Australia.

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Trauma & PTSD

Updated Oct 2026 10 min read

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing: What the Research Says and What Helps

Why compulsory Critical Incident Stress Debriefing is no longer recommended, what services use instead, and where first responders can get help in Australia.

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Trauma & PTSD

Updated Oct 2026 12 min read In depth

Hypervigilance At Work: Why You Can't Relax After Shift

The shift ends but your body stays on alert. Why hypervigilance is so common in first responders, where to get help in Australia, and practical ways to come down after a shift.

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Trauma & PTSD

Updated Sept 2026 21 min read In depth

Why Do Frontline Workers Face PTSD and Stress After Retiring?

Police, firefighters, paramedics and nurses often find the hardest part starts after the last shift. Why PTSD and stress surface in retirement, what helps, and where to get help in Australia.

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Trauma & PTSD

Updated Oct 2026 12 min read In depth

Why Frontliners Experience Sleep Insomnia, Even When Exhausted

Why sleep is so hard for emergency and essential workers, practical things many people find useful, and when to get help.

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