THE BADGE OF LIFE

Nothing in this website is a substitute for seeking help if you need it! If things are "not right," particularly if you have been having thoughts of suicide, there is no time to waste in getting help. You will be in good company if you do, for "we" are many and there are many near you who care and will give you the help you need.

Seek help immediately. If your department has peer support officers, feel free to contact them for guidance, support and referral. Do NOT delay, however--suicidal ideation is a medical emergency. Call 911 or go to an emergency room--you WILL be treated with care!

This is a confidential service not connected to law enforcement and available 24/7, both in the United States and Canada.

You can call this number for yourself--OR you can call if it's about some you're worried about.

A. For 2008 (141 police suicides nationally) the suicide rate was approximately 17/100/00. The US Army had a suicide rate of 20/100,000 and the general public 11/100,000.

A. This is a grey area. It can vary from department to department, by some estimates going as high as 25 percent for areas engaged in riots or disasters. Interestingly, researchers have found that exposure to traumatic events is not a requirment for PTSD. Lieberman, Best and Metzler (2002) found routine occupational stress exposure carried significant risk for psychological distress and were surprised to find it a strong predictor for PTSD.

Further, a study by Robinson, Sigman and Wilson (1997) of suburban officers found strong correlations between duty related stress, somatization, and symptoms of PTSD. 13 percent of the officers studied actually met the criteria for PTSD.

Q. How many police suicides are work related, due to the stresses and traumas of the job?

A. Police chiefs say none (read Line of Duty Suicides for more on this). One very tentative estimate based on 2008 police suicides suggests a minimum of 33 percent may be attributable to police-related trauma, but so much information is hidden that it's impossible to verify.

A. Therapy can both alleviate pain and suffering and add meaning and richness to life. If you don't want either, therapy is not for you.

Therapy is interpersonal treatment for problems in living. It involves talking with a trained professional about conditions ranging from depression and anxiety to relationship conflicts and career frustrations. Therapy provides ways to express feelings, understand patterns of thinking, gain perspective on past events and current relationships, set goals, and clarify dreams for the future.

Therapists employ a range of techniques and methods, some suited to particular mental health issues and some that can be applied to clients dealing with a variety of issues. All therapists seek to increase their clients’ mental health and to act as a confidential and careful listener

Q. What is the "average Life Expectancy" of a police officer?

A. Studies by John Violanti have shown that an average life span for police officers is 66 years, or 10.6 years after retirement, adjusted for age and gender. This is lower than the average for males in the United States (76 years of age).

Caring for oneself physically and emotionally are ways one can increase the likelihood of a longer life.

Q. Someone said I should go to AA.

A. Congratulations! Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is just one of many "Twelve-Step" programs designed to help people with problems ranging from substance abuse to personal and relationship issues. They are not "religious." Go to AA if you're an alcoholic--you know if you are. Go to one of the others if you're not. They can help tremendously with stress, emotional issues and relationships.

The POLICE OFFICER FELLOWSHIP OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: Look over this list for a police officer AA groups in your area. These groups are closed to officers only and, for many officers, are a "safe" place to share their struggles with alcohol and sobriety.

For those of you for whom alcohol is not a challenge, there are other 12-step groups that can still be invaluable in your emotional recovery, such as Alanon and Co-dependents Anonymous.

Q. What is the “official” definition of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?

A. PTSD is formally defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (commonly referred to as the DSM-IV, last revised in 2004). The text is at 309.81 Post Trautmatic Stress Disorder.

It's worth noting that the last publication of the DSM was in 1994 and the next will not be until 2012. The DSM-IV states, "The specific diagnostic critera for each mental disorder are offered as guidelines for making diagnoses...they do not encompass all the conditions for which people may be treated or that may be appropriate topics for research efforts."

A. There are many. The following is one of many you can find on the internet. It is provided only for your general reference—don’t self diagnose! If you feel you may be suffering the effects of PTSD, depression or any other condition that has you “off bubble,” seek professional advice. If your department has a Peer Officer Support Program, they can help you "sort out" the feelings and support you in finding care.

The CDC has good information defining PTSD and discusses the "Cumulative" aspects of the disorder.

A. Not at all! It can result from one catastrophic event or from an accumulation of traumatic events over time. Contrary to popular opinion, cumulative PTSD can be deep and long lasting and prove a greater challenge to overcome than single-event PTSD. Eric Wahgren, in BusinessWeek, wrote, “In some ways, a cop's work may be even more traumatic than that of a soldier sent into a war zone, experts say. ‘The police officer's job, over many years, exposes and re-exposes them to traumatic events that would make anybody recoil in horror.’

The key phrase in the above quote is "over many years." The exposure of a combat soldier for 12 - 18 months is intense and often terrifying. The police officer, however, gets no break--he is not "rotated home" for relief. The trauma referred to continues, unabated, for 15, 20, 30 years. He is not in the career as a stepping stone to adult life--he entered with the intention of it being a career and waited until 21 to begin. Rarely does an officer go through the arduous process of entry with the intention of leaving in two or four years. While both the soldier and cop experience traumatic situations, in other words, it is the extended length (without relief) that makes the difference.

A. "Trauma survivors with PTSD often experience problems in their intimate and family relationships or close friendships. PTSD involves symptoms that interfere with trust, emotional closeness, communication, responsible assertiveness, and effective problem solving." (Read more at the National Center for PTSD)

Sadly, police agencies don't understand how PTSD can be behind relationship problems. Thus, when a suicide occurs, all they see are the family issues and they dismiss the suicide as "personal problems"--without looking at "why?"

A. This is an individual decision but should not keep you from seeking help. An important thing to remember is that a good therapist treats human beings, not cops.

If you are experiencing problems, your priorities should be, in the following order:

We want your choice to be an educated one. Seeking a "cop-wise" therapist isn't a bad thing, but your fear of going outside the police culture for help could signal difficulty accepting therapy and the tough work that goes with it. Being a cop does not make for a good therapist, any more than being a Baptist or a Republican.

HOW TO PICK A THERAPIST: Dr. Anne Bisek, Clinical Psychologist, walks the viewer through the steps of when and how to find a good therapist, the alarm signals an emergency responder should be aware of, issues of confidentiality and the types of therapy available.

A. A psychiatrist can prescribe medications, whereas a therapist and psychologist cannot. There are some clear guidelines under which you should see a psychiatrist, such as thoughts of suicide. You can read the American Psychiatric Association’s guidelines.

A. This is a delicate question. There are three kinds of departments—those that are enlightened, those that claim to be enlightened, and those that aren’t. Departments must understand that PTSD, anxiety and depression lessen your effectiveness on the road--your reaction times, your "edge," and your judgement. Proper medications RESTORE these attributes, making you a far more effective officer than the one who conceals his stress and anxiety, choosing to "suck it up."

1. MEDICATIONS: It has been suggested that you begin any medication when you are planning to be off for at least 36 hours (discuss this with your psychiatrist). Generally, any side effects that would effect the job will show up by that time.

Additionally, many of the fears about police officers taking medications to stabilize them are unfounded. As a general rule, departmental policies require that officers tell them when they are taking medications when such medications affect the officer's performance negatively. (Emily Keram, MD, WCPR) If an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication does not affect the officer's performance negatively under these policies, the officer is under no obligation to report it. You don't, for example, have to tell your department that you're taking purple pills for acid reflux. Nonetheless, it doesn't hurt to be familiar with your department's policy.

As of 2009, Officers' personal medical records have not been available to attorneys. The question should be limited to, "Is the officer taking anything that impairs him/her?" (No)

2. DOCUMENTATION: Insist that your doctor put in your medical file a note to the effect that you are taking the specified medications, that they are causing no impairment that will affect your job, that you are more rested and alert as a result of taking the medications, etc.

A. It takes strength to admit when you need help. By gaining knowledge about signs of suicide, you can save your own and maybe a buddy's life." Don't be afraid to ask the question, "Are you thinking of killing yourself" It will not hurt and you may save a life. From the Suicide Prevention Lifeline:

Threatening to hurt or kill oneself or talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself.

Looking for ways to kill oneself by seeking access to firearms, available pills, or other.

Bear in mind, however, the one challenge--law enforcement officers at all ranks are experienced in maintaining a facade. In fact, they are trained at it. This makes the spotting of traditional signs and symptoms even more difficult and may explain a great many of the "surprise" suicides that seem to plague law enforcement today.