Lincoln man speaks out about experiences with PTSD

June is (PTSD) post traumatic stress disorder awareness month, a time to recognize and talk about this mental health condition.

You may think of veterans but it can impact anyone including firefighters.

A Lincoln man responded to emergency calls with Lincoln Fire and Rescue for 9 years. It took one of those calls to change his life.

“The nightmares, the sensations of being there, the visions and what started out as a little bit just grew and grew and grew until it was out of control,” Rob Ravndal said.

The call was made back in October of 2015, a 3-year-old drowned in a pool at a home in northwest Lincoln.

Months later, the imagery of that day impacted Rob’s day to day tasks. It took friends, family and his service dog, Pride, to get the help and treatment he needed.

“He could tell when the PTSD started to build up before I even knew it and Pride would jump into action and mitigate it and then I could go on and finish the story,” Ravndal said.

Just a week ago, Pride passed away. Trainers are now looking for another dog to fit Rob’s needs.

By talking about his experiences, Rob hopes to show people that there is help and hope for people going through this.

Rob has since retired from Lincoln Fire and Rescue and has been a voice for the department.

A mental health care professional at Bryan Health says PTSD impacts about 8 out of every 100 individuals at some point in their lives.

If you or someone you care about has PTSD, we have a link for resources here.