PITTSBURGH —

Behavioral experts say a culture shift must happen within the ranks of first responders, and how they cope with post-traumatic stress disorder and mental trauma.

Retired Pittsburgh police officer Mark Kneebone says he nearly committed suicide before he retired in 2019, while drinking up to a half-gallon of alcohol a day. Advertisement

He says the first step to getting help is breaking through that first barrier.

"As a first responder, we kind of put ourselves in this segment of society that we have to be strong, we can't show weakness, asking for help is weakness," Kneebone said.

Peggy Kearney, a member of the Pittsburgh Critical Incident Stress Management Team, who responds to first responders soon after traumatic incidents, says first responders need to understand that

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