In this episode of the Medic2Medic Podcast, retired Long Beach Fire Department Captain James Owen shares his story with remarkable openness and brutal honesty.
After nearly three decades in emergency response, James talks about what the job gave him and what it quietly took away. He takes us through cumulative operational stress, PTSD, addiction, organizational betrayal, family impact, treatment, and the difficult work of recovery.

James also discusses his book, The Last Patient: A Memoir of Resilience and Recovery, and the gap between how well we train first responders to handle the call and how poorly we sometimes prepare them to deal with what remains after the call is over.
This is a compelling and deeply personal conversation about identity, accountability, asking for help, and rebuilding a life when the person trained to rescue everyone else realizes he needs help himself. James doesn't tell his story as a responder. He tells it as a firefighter, paramedic, captain, husband, father, and first responder who lived it.

Subscribe to Medic2Medic wherever you get your podcasts, and please share Episode 336. This is a conversation worth hearing, and one our profession needs to continue having.

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/episode-336-james-owen--74592215