Ptsd In Law Enforcement Essay

Have you ever wondered what’s it 's like to be a cop? Or what cop’s families go through on a day to day basis? This book Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement written by Kevin M. Gilmartin, Ph.D. gives us an outline on the difficulty and stress that law enforcement officer and their families face on daily basis. Dr. Gilmartin discusses the stages of hypervigilance. And the long-term effects of hypervigilance and the toll it takes on the officer and his or her family.

Suicide among police officers is a dramatic example of what can happen when those entrusted with the protection of others fail to protect and care for themselves (Suicide and the Police Officer, 2006). Police officers tend to create an identify for themselves in order to seem powerful, in-charge, and unwavering in the line of duty, when in reality the persona that they create can lead to officers breaking down physically and mentally (McCord 368). After an officer joins the police force, they are expected to accept the fact that there will be violence and trauma in their line of work. There are no mental health checkpoints that officers are required to meet in order to continue working in these stressful conditions, forcing

Although many believe that law enforcement agents are usually men and women that are emotionless individuals that do not sympathize and feel what the ‘wrongly’ accused victims have felt, yet they have not seen the silent side of the effects being in the force against crime, leaving a deep impact in officers and such. PTSD in the body of police officers isn’t widely known, but it is a tolling factor in their career. This is a problem that is slowly taking surge, much like a tumor or a virus.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a mental health condition that is generally classified as an anxiety disorder. It is often caused by a traumatic events or emotional trauma in one’s life that leads to terrifying flashbacks, nightmares and extreme anxiety. The main cause of this disorder is the conscious and subconscious fear-memories that have developed. In essence the ‘fight or flight” response that we all have is severely damaged, even when not in a stressful or dangerous situation those suffering from PTSD may feel stressed and in danger.

When it comes to evaluating a police departments new formed program in-house counseling services for police officers, which is intended to reduce stress among police officers, several factors must come into place. In making this evaluation, we must first put officers into groups by age, time served on the force, and areas which officers are patrolling. In any police force, psychological evaluations should be given on a monthly basic to head the problem before it gets out of control. Because police officers have so many negative views throughout society, it can put extra stress on any individual. Out of 100 police officers, they would be split in 2 groups of 50. The first half would be evaluated on mental and psychological status, and the second

Post-traumatic stress disorder also known as PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder is developed from a scary, dangerous or shocking events. For example, a soldier exposed to a near death experience or a scary event overseas could cause that person to be diagnose with PTSD. Also another example, could be someone in Miami experiencing a category 5 hurricane and have everything taken away from them. Research on OEF/OIF Veterans suggests that 10% to 18% of OEF/OIF troops are likely to have PTSD after they return. In addition to PTSD service members are also at a higher risk of developing other mental health issues. Post-traumatic stress disorder is very real and life threating in some cases.

Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement: A Guide for Officers and Their Families by Kevin Gilmartin, a law enforcement veteran, demonstrates the emotional struggles an officer can go through when they start their career without realizing there can be emotional struggles. Police officers in training anticipate graduating from the academy and being able to start their career, what they do not realize is the toll that their career can take on their personal lives. The life of a new police officer is full of excitement and strictly on learning what their job entitles, that they may not realize the

Individuals employed in the field of law enforcement face a special variety of workplace stressors that the majority of other careers do not encounter. Law enforcement officers are frequently exposed to traumatic experiences such as domestic violence, child abuse, horrific injuries, and other human traumas (Lucas, Weidner, and Janisse, 2012). There are also numerous perceived dangers in law enforcement, such as assaults on officers, homicide, and workplace accidents, which can add more stress (Brandl and Stroshine, 2003). In a study of 115 officers from a large department more than 60 common work stressors were identified including but not limited to: fear of being attacked or killed in the line of duty, inadequate supervision, public criticism, losing a fellow officer in the line of duty, an ineffective corrections system, the constant shift from bored to high stress, and workplace politics (Lucas, Weidner, and Janisse, 2012). The work stressors not only impact the law enforcement officer but can also disturb the harmony of the entire law enforcement family. Researchers have attempted to understand these unique stressors impacting law enforcement officers. They have found that because law enforcement officers often deal with daily extreme work stressors that can negatively impact them psychologically and physically it is in the best interest of the entire law enforcement family to seek professional counseling options to help alleviate stress.

PTSD or (post traumatic stress disorder) is a relatively new diagnosis but the concept of it has somewhat been of a long history. It was often linked to people who have been exposed to combat or have involved in maternal disasters, mass catastrophes, and or serious accidents, Although little has been learned about the disorder in 1952 the first diagnosis appeared in the official nomenclature when diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. But later changed In the midst of the Vietnam war when more cases started popping up, so much in fact provoked a more thorough examination of the disorder. Before the name was created it was defined specifically as a stress disorder that is a common pathway occurring as a consequence from many types of stress. Throughout the years the definition of PTSD has filled an Important void in clinical psychiatry and while the disorder is common the symptoms are fairly easy to spot, people who show signs of PTSD are more likely to experience negative change in beliefs and behavior, they tend to experience moments when they have brief but vivid flashbacks of very traumatic moments also they have inability to remember an important aspect of the traumatic event. Other symptoms include trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event,Avoiding places, activities or people that remind you of the traumatic event, PTSD symptoms can intensity over time. You may have more PTSD symptoms when you 're stressed in general, or

Officers with early career problems are impressionable and impulsive, and their low frustration tolerance can often lead to problems with excessive force. They often feel the need to highlight their authority, becoming more sensitive to citizen challenges and resulting in excessively forceful responses. Officers with previous job related trauma such as officer involved shootings can result in posttraumatic stress reactions that manifest through use of excessive force. Additionally, officers with personal problems such as marital separation or divorce are often seen as having fragile sense of self-worth and increased levels of anxiety, making them more prone to fear based responses that involve excessive force when police/civilian contact threatens their self-confidence. Although it’s entirely possible to hire candidates who aren’t naturally or environmentally prone to violence, healthy police officers often change personality due to the nature of the job itself. Problems involving excessive force likely result from the confluence of an officer’s already existing traits and the occupational environment in which they

If we take a quick overview of police work and look at the research of what the biggest stressors are, we find:

Law Enforcement has been listed as one of most stressful jobs in the United States. These high levels of stress can compromise the safety and well-being of not only the officers themselves, but also that of those who interact with the officers outside of the job (Van Hasselt et al. , 2008). Some health concerns surrounding this form of stress may include post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol and drug use, domestic disputes, and other forms of mental illness.

Thirty-four percent of the officers who responded to the survey reported suffering from symptoms of PTSD, such as repeated flashbacks of traumatic incidents, hypervigilance, insomnia, suicidal thoughts, and alienation. Only fourteen percent of military veterans report suffering the same symptoms. Correctional officer suicide rates are thirty-nine percent higher than all other professions combined, according to the national study. In the study it was revealed that most officers avoid a PTSD diagnosis because they’re afraid of negative repercussions on their careers. They believe they’ll be put through a “fit for duty” test with a licensed psychologist and be decertified. Research shows that hyper-violent environment has serious repercussions on the mental and physical state of an officer. Shift work is another key factor with corrections officers and their families. Not having dinner together and parents sleeping while their children get ready for school. Shift work has been proven to disrupt the circadian rhythm, or the internal clock that controls sleep and nausea. The combination of sleep loss disrupted circadian rhythm, eating, and digestive problems tends to result in irritability and depression, which will possibly have a negative impact on family interaction.

As an occupational role, a police officer’s job is not only to protect and serve our community but represents us as well (Wilson, 2010). The new state of our police force provides us with a culture of equal opportunity and rights for all. However, there is still an underestimation of workplace injuries in regards to a psychological standpoint. The consequences of workplace stressors that affect someone psychologically will not leave a visible or tangible effect (Goodman-Delahunty, Martshuk, Schuller, 2016). While all individuals are vulnerable to workplace stressors, some people may react differently than others. With underlying issues of workplace harassment and discrimination, a controlled experiment conducted on officers in the New South

A law enforcement officer’s job can be described in many different forms. It can go from very boring to very exhilarating in a spilt second. The job on the outside can seem very glamorous from a laypersons point of view. The fact of the matter is the job looking from the inside out can be disgusting at times routine and very treacherous. The law enforcement officer can be everyone’s worst enemy while on patrol looking for law violators; then be the hero when he runs into a burning building or runs toward an armed gunman. There has been an increased recognition by law enforcement administrators of the stresses placed on officers by the many difficulties of the job. While many look at officers as superman, others see the hidden difficulty faced by those officers’ badges. Studies have shown us that officers along with first responders who are exposed to life threatening events are at risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD, alcohol abuse, panic attacks and medical issues (Komarovskaya et al., 2014)