A Great Way to Help Heroes According to Meredith Iler

In this country, there are some 18 million people who could be classed as heroes. These are the men and women who currently work as, or used to work at, ensuring citizens in the country are safe and protected. This includes people such as the police, firefighters, ambulance personal, the military, correctional officers, and so on. According to Meredith Iler, each of these individuals has a story to tell, one that is interesting and that shows just why these people are heroes. Often, they have significant emotional scars that they feel they cannot truly discuss, not in the least because they worry that others simply wouldn’t understand.

Meredith Iler on How to Help Heroes

One of the main things that people can do for their heroes is acknowledge how they have helped. For instance, did you know that the suicide rate among policemen is higher than in the civilian population? Similarly, they have higher rates of early deaths and divorce as well.

The first time it become known how important acknowledgement is, was after the Vietnam War, when returning veterans did not receive the warm welcome they had expected. Today, soldiers returning from the Middle East are experiencing this again. They struggle to reintegrate into society, and they often have to pay a heavy price.

Today, we also have people who actively engage in war during the day, but return home to their families at night. Drone pilots are an excellent example of this. Yet people often don’t understand – or acknowledge – how taxing this job is. They believe that, because these men and women essentially work through remote control, their work can be compared to video games rather than actual war. This is not the reality, however.

It is very important that society as a whole understands the importance of the work that all of our heroes do. The policemen who stand in the line of fire every day, and who have gotten a bad rep. The soldiers who diffuse bombs in Iraq. The peacekeepers in Afghanistan. The firefighters who simply cannot save them all. These people all deserve our gratitude and our support.

The fact that PSTD rates are rising continuously is not just a sign of the condition being better understood. It is even not just a sign of more people feeling comfortable asking for help. Those issues play a part, of course, but the reality is that the reason why rates of PTSD are rising, is because there are more people who suffer from it. They suffer from it through the work that they do, but also through the reception they receive from every day individuals who simply do not understand.

If you are wondering how you can help a hero, simply walk up to them and tell them thanks. There are plenty of other things that you can do, such as supporting a charity through time or money, raising awareness among other people, and more. But acknowledging our heroes is hugely important.