Posts by Karen Monda
Honor Walk 2019
This morning, Doug Monda, founder of Survive First, caught the first flight out to San Francisco, California, where he will meet up with Danny Garcia to begin the first leg of Honor Walk 2019 on Monday, March 18. Kicking off at the Handlery at Union Square, Doug and Danny will walk roughly 25 a day, meeting with verterans and first responder to spread their message.
Read MoreGet Outside and Just Go!
Life can be busy. Life can be challenging. We all seem to know this too well. Go to work. Do the laundry. Clean the house. Help with homework. Go to soccer practice. Cook dinner. Do the dishes. Finally take a shower and undwind…at 9:00. Does this sound familiar? Do we ever really unwind? For many…
Read MoreNorth Carolina First Responder Support Group
Survive First is excited to announce a new support group in North Carolina. We welcome any and all First Responders and their families to attend. It was created to be a confidential and supportive resource for first responders dealing with personal, traumatic, and/or cumulative stress resulting from the unique stressors and responsibilities of emergency services personnel.…
Read MoreJust a Setback
By Douglas Monda, Founder and President of Survive First I’ve never written a blog post before. This is a first for me, but the thought of writing this hit me at one of my most favorite times of the day; the time of day that helped turn my life around…Cigar time. Lately, I’ve been reliving…
Read MoreFrom Assistant Chief of Police to “Yogi” – by Christopher O. Davis
If someone had told me 3 years ago that I would be a certified yoga instructor and a Yoga for First Responders Ambassador, I would have told them they were crazy! Like most Type-A first responders, I had to experience it (yoga) for myself. Several years ago, I was going through a difficult time professionally…
Read MoreAn Ounce of Prevention
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” – Benjamin Franklin. Recently, we visited law enforcement recruits at the Police Academy in Palm Bay, Florida, where Doug Monda, founder of Survive First Foundation, told his own personal experience with depression, PTSD, and attempted suicide. He spoke of the lifestyle and mood changes he…
Read MoreSensory Integration at Lakeside
The limbic system is a complex system of nerves and networks in the brain, involving several areas near the edge of the cortex concerned with instinct and mood. It controls the basic emotions (fear, pleasure, anger). Human emotion and the senses are significantly impacted by trauma and PTSD. Furthermore, self-regulation becomes impacted, making it increasingly…
Read MoreSurvive First was with Indian Harbor Beach Police Department
Survive First was with Indian Harbor Beach Police Department on Tuesday and today, speaking about mental health and the challenges faced by first responders every day. It’s been a great week educating our brothers and sisters on mental health awareness!
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