‘Like night and day': How a shot could treat PTSD symptoms

Behind the smiles of first responders lie the silent struggle of their spouses and partners.

It’s a story rarely told, but the partners of first responders dealing with mental health conditions often take on their trauma too.

Meg Hawkins and Eric Provow have been married for 11 years and together share three decades of service as first responders.

The couple first spoke with News4 after appearing in a video for local police and fire departments. First responders publicly shared their struggles with mental health in hope of shattering stigma and shame that keep many from speaking up and getting help.

“In my job, I deal with folks who have mental illness all the time as a police officer, and I have dealt with veterans,” Hawkins said. “I know the signs and symptoms, and Eric was the poster child.”

In the 2018 interview, Provow, a retired combat veteran and firefighter, opened up about his then-recent suicide attempt.

“I was just wrestling with the demons inside,” Provow recalled. “I just got irrational, and I felt that if I take my own life, then I no longer suffer and she no longer has to suffer.”

Suicide claims more police and firefighter lives than any of the dangers they face on the job.

First responders are five times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, with a staggering 85% of first responders reporting symptoms related to mental health conditions.

Despite these statistics, the toll it takes on the mental health of spouses and partners who serve as caregivers is rarely heard.

“I was diagnosed with moderate PTSD from the night that Eric went missing,” Hawkins said. “And basically, that was my critical incident. That was my trauma, because I believed he was dead.”

Provow eventually received help and Hawkins was there to support him the entire way. Years later, she needed help of her own.

“I was going 110 miles an hour, always focusing on Eric. His health, his mental health, his physical health — I was his person. I was his service human,” Hawkins said. “And once he got healthy, my body and my mind just crashed.”

“I didn't realize just how much work it was on her," Povow said.

Rather than continuing to suffer in silence, Hawkins found Dr. Marina Protopapas at National Spine and Pain Centers in Fairfax.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is “traditionally thought to be a psychologically mediated process. In fact, there have been studies that have shown that it's actually a neurologically mediated process," Protopapas said.

The doctor suggested a new procedure to Hawkins called a stellate ganglion block, often referred to as an SGB shot. The shot has been used for decades to treat chronic pain but only recently for PTSD in veterans and first responders.

“Veterans, police officers and soldiers that have been exposed to trauma […] It could just be one event that happens. Think of it as a hyper-active, consistent message that hits the brain” Protopapas said. “And by blocking these nerves, you actually help reduce that fight or flight, and you reduce that hyperactivity of the brain, and it helps control patients that have PTSD.”

The procedure consists of using X-ray imaging and contrasting dye to guide the needle and inject medication into a bundle of sympathetic nerves in the front of the neck. These nerves regulate the brain’s fight-or-flight reactions. By stopping the influx of nerves, symptoms of PTSD are calmed.

Protopapas described the treatments as being “almost like a switch.”

“It kind of turns off or resets the sympathetic driving system that is creating the sense of anxiety,” she said.

Hawkins has had two treatments, about a month apart, and said the difference is dramatic.

“I'm like hypervigilant. Obviously, I was trained to be hypervigilant, so it's like a double whammy for me, but the shot, once it's done, turns that down,” she said. “It's like night and day. And it's easy, it's quick, it’s not super painful at all.”

While there’s not a lot of long-term data on the shot’s effectiveness, it has shown promise in a clinical trial funded by the U.S army and published in "JAMA Psychiatry."

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs continues to evaluate the shot’s effectiveness as a PTSD treatment. Yet, among the five VA facilities in Virginia, Maryland and D.C., only two offer the treatment.

For this reason, Hawkins is sharing her story in hope of helping first responders and their partners deal with the invisible wounds of trauma.

“There's really not a lot of support for other spouses […] But I'm working on that,” she said.

Together, Hawkins and Provow started a nonprofit called Making Everything Good, aimed at helping veterans, first responders and their families.

“I call the spouses and the significant others of first responders and veterans that have PTSD and other mental illnesses the silent warriors,” Hawkins said.

They’re setting up a local support group and a wellness app in hope of finding funding to cover the cost of the SGB shot for first responders in need .

Despite its promise, the SGB shot is still considered experimental and typically is not covered by insurance.

“They call it post-traumatic growth and sharing your story is part of it,” Hawkins told News4. “And the other part is service to others.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.