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Calguns LEOs LEOs; chat, kibitz and relax. Non-LEOs; have a questions for a cop? Ask it here, in a CIVIL manner. |
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#1
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How many have been diagnosed with PTSD?
OK boys, I have, and my PTSD counselor is curious.....no names, just how many.. I was 8 years LEO and 27 total military. I know there are many of you that have 20-plus LEO and you have to have some PTSD!
Last edited by 11Z50; 09-30-2009 at 11:24 PM.. |
#3
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I'm curious how many are going to admit that in an open forum. IMHO, things like that need to be kept to themselves.
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The satisfaction of a job well done is to be the one who has done it Quote:
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#4
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I know we as leos see some really horrible things, most leos don't ever shoot someone during their le career. Obviously military people in Iraq and Afghanistan do and have. I say that realizing that PTSD is not necessarily just a result of shooting someone in a war, because as I mentioned, leos see some pretty horrible things; especially when it comes to children. |
#5
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I'd have to say my 8 years as a street cop definitely contributed. You can't help but see and experience some terrible things that will stay with you forever. As a soldier, one may serve many years without combat. When combat does occur, it is fast and intense. As an LEO it is more of a day-to-day experience that leaves one somewhat numb after awhile. I'd say that after 2-3 years of working a beat a cop has seen enough things to reach that level.
PTSD doesn't mean you are crazy; it just means you have seen and done some things that will be "junk in the trunk". Nothing to be ashamed of. Last edited by 11Z50; 10-04-2009 at 6:46 PM.. |
#6
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I have been in one (1) gun fight in my life. And fingers crossed it will be my only. I had the unusual opportunity to be in close touch with a number of active LEO at the time, and they all said, it was a matter of 'when' not 'if' PTSD will occur. I have never had bad dreams, or second thoughts about what happened. I feel I did the best I could in the situation I was placed in. But it's in the back of my mind.. every day.
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/Chris I have a perfect Burning Man attendance record: zero. You do know there are more guns in the country than there are in the city. Everyone and their mums is packin' round here! Like who? Farmers. Who else? Farmers' mums. |
#7
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PTSD is an anxiety disorder. It's not something that can be picked up from "day-to-day" stressful interactions. It requires at least one significant, life-threatening trauma. Certain symptoms mark a person with PTSD, including hypervigilance/hyperarousal and flashbacks. If a person doesn't have these two reactions at the least, then that person most likely doesn't have PTSD but some other anxiety disorder.
More info about PTSD is here: National Center for PTSD.
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x "Let those find fault whose wit's so very small, They've need to show that they can think at all; Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow; He who would search for pearls, must dive below." -- John Dryden |
#8
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Last edited by 11Z50; 10-04-2009 at 8:22 PM.. |
#9
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From what I have read, not everybody who undergoes extreme, life-threatening stress will get PTSD. It's not a given.
Anyway I would hope that any LEO, combat military veteran or civilian with PTSD would seek counseling and learn behavior modification techniques that will enable them to extinguish their PTSD manifestations. Self-medication with alcohol is the wrong treatment.
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x "Let those find fault whose wit's so very small, They've need to show that they can think at all; Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow; He who would search for pearls, must dive below." -- John Dryden |
#10
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#11
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I certainly have memories of stuff, but thankfully, at least as far as I know, no PSTD. I generally only recall them when discussions like this occur, but do not dwell on them. |
#12
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Believe it or not, but I do know about PTSD and treatment. I'm not a LEO and most likely will not become one. And yes, I know about PTSD because I've lived with complex PTSD almost all of my life. I know the symptoms, I know how my body and mind react when stressed, I know how my brain reacts to different SSRIs. I can even spot other PTSDers. On another forum I even moderate a subforum for PTSD survivors/thrivers. And you know what I've found that is truly consistent among most PTSD folk? If they have not been able to process their pain and move away from it emotionally, if they cannot use logic and reason to understand themselves, if they have not learned how to recognize their triggers and stop themselves, most PTSD folk have a hard time articulating that pain and their thoughts. They're so wrapped up in reliving the crap that ruined their lives that living in the here-and-now is almost impossible
__________________
x "Let those find fault whose wit's so very small, They've need to show that they can think at all; Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow; He who would search for pearls, must dive below." -- John Dryden |
#13
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I've watched a few of my coworkers go through what you have described about. One such man used to carry his bible with him on patrol. We were the first to arrive at the crime scene left by the infamous Kevin Cooper homicides. Within a few weeks he was acting out. Many of us tried to get him the help he needed but he refused. Within a few months he had discarded his bible and was doing things he would have never done. Within a year he was committing felonies, was placed on medical leave and was eventually fired.
How is it that 2 of the three of us who responded to that scene coped with the situation and one did not. I'm certainly no psych but my guess is, like masameet said, he refused to let it go and get on with his life. One of the happiest days of my life (if I'm still alive by then!!) will be to watch that bastage Cooper suffer as he takes his last breath.
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The satisfaction of a job well done is to be the one who has done it Quote:
Last edited by yzErnie; 10-04-2009 at 11:11 PM.. |
#14
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PTSD is mostly reactive -- it is not a matter of being inured. The mind and body react negatively because certain chemicals in the brain necessary for optimal brain functioning are in deficit. And from my experience PTSD people tend to feel too much shame and guilt. They blame themselves for their trauma. They tend to run away and hide. They hurt themselves physically. I do not doubt that you have been misdiagnosed.
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x "Let those find fault whose wit's so very small, They've need to show that they can think at all; Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow; He who would search for pearls, must dive below." -- John Dryden |
#15
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yzernie, I lived about 4 miles from the Ryan house in Chino Hills when that happened. We used to keep our slider open during the night to get some air in our bedroom in the summer. We stopped doing that after that incident and I started keeping my off duty in my nightstand instead of the closet shelf.
I certainly hope he soon gets what's coming to him. |
#16
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My PTSD is moderate, and manageable, and I am working with a noted Police Psychologist as part of a study on cops who are also military. I have made a great deal of progress over the last year and I am doing better.
Retired and yzernie both have feelings like I have on some cases I worked. I thought I let them go, but really I didn't. Sometimes, things come bubbling up years later that are hard to deal with. I only asked the question in the OP because I was asked by my counselor. Since nobody that was a cop or soldier has any relevant info I guess we're done. Last edited by 11Z50; 10-05-2009 at 10:47 PM.. |
#18
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None of my multiple personalities have ever been diagnosed with PTSD.....
Probably because I try and find the funny or ironic side of what ever has happened to me. I also don't let things build up inside. The sooner you get it out, the sooner you can deal with it and put it behind you. Not forget it, but use it as a tool for the next crisis situation you or your partners get mixed up in.
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Poke'm with a stick! |
#19
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Mild or not, I'm glad to read you're on the road to recovery.
For sure I found that honesty to the self, brutal honesty, was and continues to be cathartic. Being able to listen too, I think, is key to healing. Most of us pay too much attention to the words of others when we're so deaf to our own thoughts. For who else knows us better? Thirdly, trusting oneself leads to finding the ones who can be trusted. All of these things, as well as others, lead to a new-found level of mental toughness and appreciation for being alive. It's like reaching a level of heightened consciousness and awareness, of being so in the moment. Intense but also so wonderful. Laurence Gonzales's book, "Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why," might interest you. A few years ago (at Burning Man of all places! lol) I read this book from cover to cover. Gave me insight into the human traits of hardiness, resiliency and determination, and how they work together in a person's mind and heart to make him or her survive life-threatening hardships. For sure being kind to the self is the greatest gift a PTSD survivor can give himself. May your gift always please you.
__________________
x "Let those find fault whose wit's so very small, They've need to show that they can think at all; Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow; He who would search for pearls, must dive below." -- John Dryden |
#20
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i have ptsd from the war. im not ashamed of it. i didtnt get shot or wounded but i was in the infantry and saw and did my share of stuff. ive learned the best way is to talk about it. but nobody wants to listen. in truth most people ask but once you start talking you can kinda tell they wish they didnt. the war is an oddity to them. something in the news that happens to others. the only time i truly feel comfortable is around vets who've been there. im not saying i dont feel comfortable around others. i just feel better for some reason. i hate how people seem to think that vets with ptsd are crazy or they think flashbacks are like they are in the movies. never once did i yell incoming and get all crazy. i remember when i first got back though was around the 4th of july and i was scared as hell. i remember back at the base we just got out of battalion formation and arty was firing at a nearby range and it sounded real close. all you saw was a battalion of marines run for cover. we all got up slowly and than at the same tim everyone started laughing.
Last edited by steelrain82; 10-07-2009 at 11:12 PM.. |
#21
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are any of the the following sysmptoms of PTSD?
1.) constant hypervigilance of surroundings when outside the home 2.) waking up in the middle of night to listen if everything is ok(not all the time) 3.) always ready to strike without hesitation in a split-second when someone approaching makes a false/threatening move. Other than that the said person is very relaxed and cheerful when inside his home. he/she has no nightmares or depression. thanks Last edited by pachador; 10-08-2009 at 3:30 PM.. |
#22
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1) and 2) I do these.
3)...uhm, this one, not so much.
__________________
/Chris I have a perfect Burning Man attendance record: zero. You do know there are more guns in the country than there are in the city. Everyone and their mums is packin' round here! Like who? Farmers. Who else? Farmers' mums. |
#26
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Like alcohol, marijuana numbs the brain and brings no actual benefit to getting beyond the trauma. All it does is delay healing. For sure, see the human brain as any other intact organ that gets injured. Healing takes time, and the right set of brain chemicals (dopamine, epinephrine, et al.), whether natural or synthetic, make healing more probable.
__________________
x "Let those find fault whose wit's so very small, They've need to show that they can think at all; Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow; He who would search for pearls, must dive below." -- John Dryden |
#28
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I think pot does actually help... Anybody know if it's true that if you get diagnosed with PTSD you cannot buy firearms here? If so that sucks for war vets.
Last edited by VHK; 10-09-2009 at 10:45 PM.. |
#29
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My local newspaper published the following story online today. I believe some of you guys and gals might find it beneficial ...
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__________________
x "Let those find fault whose wit's so very small, They've need to show that they can think at all; Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow; He who would search for pearls, must dive below." -- John Dryden |
#31
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I think I mis-read some of these posts at first. I thought I had entered into an incontinence forum, with so many people claiming that they go #1 and #2 while in bed. Then I realized what everybody was referring to.
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#32
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Do any of you have an opinion on whether or not a veteran who has been diagnosed with PTSD and is on 100% disibility from it should be able to own firearms? By 100%, I mean that the VA has determined that they cannot function or hold a job because of the disorder.
__________________
"I've always followed my father's advice: he told me, first to always keep my word and, second, to never insult anybody unintentionally. If I insult you, you can be damn sure I intend to. And, third, he told me not to go around looking for trouble." ~ John Wayne ~ When they come a wull staun ma groon... Staun ma groon al nae be afraid... "Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another"
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#34
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I'm very curious to the opinions of those who enforce the law and have to deal with all types of personalities. I am a member of the VVA and and well informed about PTSD and the ongoing study that in some cases, it may be caused by a TBI (traumatic brain injury) in some veterans. This can be caused by many things, including explosions, being tossed around, etc. As a LEO, do you feel comfortable knowing that someone has been diagnosed with PTSD and has been deemed to be 100% disabled, unable to hold a job because of it and is "unable to interact with others" owning firearms?
__________________
"I've always followed my father's advice: he told me, first to always keep my word and, second, to never insult anybody unintentionally. If I insult you, you can be damn sure I intend to. And, third, he told me not to go around looking for trouble." ~ John Wayne ~ When they come a wull staun ma groon... Staun ma groon al nae be afraid... "Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another"
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#36
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steelrain82 has probably best insight (that I've read here) on combat PTSD. Lots of other mumbo-jumbo...
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[/SIGPIC]USMC Combat Veteran, Republic of Lebanon 1983-'84 Life Member, Beirut Veterans Association Life Member, Marine Embassy Guard Association Life Member, Disabled American Veterans Life Member, Veterans of Foriegn Wars Life Member, American Legion Life Member, National Rifle Association "ONLY THE DEAD HAVE SEEN THE END OF WAR." - Plato |
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