On September 11, 2001, while most Americans watched the towers fall on television, NYPD Sergeant Eric Goodman was on the ground. On episode 20 of Mind Over Matter, Eric joins Trevor to share what it was like to respond to the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil — the chaos, the heroism, the horror, and the long aftermath that continues to affect first responders more than two decades later.
A First Responder’s Account of 9/11
Eric Goodman brings a perspective to this episode that very few people on earth can provide. As an NYPD sergeant who was on scene during the September 11th attacks, he experienced things that most people only read about in textbooks. The conversation covers the immediate response — the confusion, the dust, the desperate search for survivors — alongside the personal toll that day took on the men and women who ran toward the danger while everyone else ran away. With 135 views, this episode has quietly become one of the most impactful in the Mind Over Matter catalog.
The Long Shadow of Trauma
What makes this episode essential listening is not just the 9/11 story — it is what came after. Eric speaks to the PTSD, the survivor guilt, the physical health consequences of toxic exposure at Ground Zero, and the mental health crisis that continues to affect first responders to this day. The parallels between military veterans and first responders are strong, and Trevor draws those connections throughout the conversation. Both groups serve their communities, both face extraordinary trauma, and both deserve better support than they often receive.
If you are a first responder or veteran struggling with trauma, you are not alone. Reach out at endsuicide.us or call 988.
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