Stress coping and anger management

[CBR_rider]

Peer Support was pretty successful on my department for addressing stress.

I'd be interested in the perception of the program of officers from other departments.

Ours isn't too bad. I don't think enough of us take advantage of it and I also think that within some groups of guys and gals there is still a resistance to "talk about things" because its for "wimps" or something of that sort.

[9mmepiphany]

I don't think enough of us take advantage of it and I also think that within some groups of guys and gals there is still a resistance to "talk about things" because its for "wimps" or something of that sort.

We went through that for a while...but that was back in the 90s.

It takes a while for Peer Support to build a reputation as dependable and actually useful...word of mouth recommendations are obviously limited.

Sometimes the biggest hurdle is some of the people chosen as members...where the response is, "Who in their right mind would talk to that person?"...until you realize that folks have different comfort levels in who they'll talk to

[Robert2102]

No matter what everyone says not everything can be left at work and not brought home. If you carry off duty the idea of having to act is always in the back of your mind. If you don't carry, and something g happens you'll regret not being able to react. Remember you can't fix the world, do your best when your working to make a difference. But don't make your entire identity as being a cop. Your a brother, husband, friend, dad, bike rider, whatever etc...I try to say when I'm on duty and a "cop" then I'm 100% Cop. When I'm off I'm 100% husband & dad.
I'm also Christian, so my faith helps me see the big picture. I've been as civilians say "with the force" for 15 yrs. Too bad it took this long to figure it out.

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[Robert2102]

Thanks. Things are good now. I still have nightmares sometimes, but I've learned to cope with them. A mild form of PTSD according to one doctor I spoke with, but nothing to worry about.

I'm there with you, nightmares for a solid year of twin 2 yr old boys who drowned in a swimming pool at the same time my son was 2. I'm good now, but know you are not alone brother. Just weird how the body reacts to hell on earth. May God bless you for your service [emoji106]

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[1911su16b870]

Tactical breathing. Understanding/knowing that the stuff I respond to on duty is not me or my life.

[Ron-Solo]

I'm there with you, nightmares for a solid year of twin 2 yr old boys who drowned in a swimming pool at the same time my son was 2. I'm good now, but know you are not alone brother. Just weird how the body reacts to hell on earth. May God bless you for your service [emoji106]

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Kids hit you hard. I once handled a murder/suicide a few days before Christmas where a woman threw her two little girls (6&8) off the 9th floor of the courthouse. Not knowing she had killed her kids, I talked to her for a few minutes and almost had her off the ledge before she jumped to her death. It was then that I looked over the ledge and saw the bodies of the two girls. That hit my like a 2x4 across the chest. It was a horrible scene that I will never forget. The anniversary is next week.

I had a toddler die in my arms while waiting for paramedics that had been shot by gang members in a drive by shooting. I was doing CPR and my uniform was soaked in the boy's blood. The gangsters shot up a family birthday party, killing the baby, his mother, and grandmother. They made a wrong turn. The target gang house was on the next block.

And it goes on and on.......

[IrishJoe3]

I'm there with you, nightmares for a solid year of twin 2 yr old boys who drowned in a swimming pool at the same time my son was 2. I'm good now, but know you are not alone brother. Just weird how the body reacts to hell on earth. May God bless you for your service [emoji106]

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Yup.

Early in my career, I came across a car that had been hit broadside on the drivers door at freeway speed. Car was barely recognizable, and the driver, a 16 year old kid, was still inside. All I could do was reach into the mangled car and hold his hand, praying for the firetrucks to hurry up. I'll never forget that helpless feeling, standing in a pool of blood, trying to calm the kid who was missing half his face and gurgling through the mess. I still don't know if he survived.

For whatever reason, for years afterwards, that incident would come back around the Christmas season. I'd have vivid, disturbing and frequent flashbacks starting around beginning of december. After Christmas, it'd fade away, only to come back the following year.

Why that incident and why christmas I'll never know. I've dealt with much worse gore many times over since that time. Was it because it was a kid? Was it because I simply came across the scene and therefore didn't have typical few minutes of response time to mentally prepare for what I'd find? Was it because I was a rookie? Was it because at this scene, there was nothing I could do to help? I have no idea. Today, I can still recall that incident in vivid detail, though I don't have the flashbacks anymore.

[CH483]

Kids hit you hard. I once handled a murder/suicide a few days before Christmas where a woman threw her two little girls (6&8) off the 9th floor of the courthouse. Not knowing she had killed her kids, I talked to her for a few minutes and almost had her off the ledge before she jumped to her death. It was then that I looked over the ledge and saw the bodies of the two girls. That hit my like a 2x4 across the chest. It was a horrible scene that I will never forget. The anniversary is next week.

I had a toddler die in my arms while waiting for paramedics that had been shot by gang members in a drive by shooting. I was doing CPR and my uniform was soaked in the boy's blood. The gangsters shot up a family birthday party, killing the baby, his mother, and grandmother. They made a wrong turn. The target gang house was on the next block.

And it goes on and on.......

Jesus, that's rough. Was the chaplaincy available?

[Ron-Solo]

Jesus, that's rough. Was the chaplaincy available?

LASD has a cadre of full time psychologists that respond to the scene or station to deal with the aftermath of significant incidents. It is required to talk with them following all incidents where you discharged a firearm at someone before you can return to field duty. It's optional after other types of incidents. These guys specialize in law enforcement related incidents. They go on regular ride alongside too. They are full time Sheriff's Department employees and anything said to them falls under Doctor/patient confidentiality and HIPPA laws. It helps, based on my own personal experiences.

Having 10,000 sworn personnel makes having a small full time staff a good investment in the long run. They got a lot of business following the Aero Mexico plane crash that went down in a crowded residential neighborhood in Cerritos back in the 80's. Lots of emotional trauma for some of the first people on scene.

[code_blue]

Thanks. Things are good now. I still have nightmares sometimes, but I've learned to cope with them. A mild form of PTSD according to one doctor I spoke with, but nothing to worry about.

The separated folks that I spoke with, retired traditionally or medically, provided enough information for me to determine that the PTSD part is still heavily unrecognized by LEAs as a whole. Some of these folks who were diagnosed with one form of PTSD or another had to fight very hard just to be issued retirement IDs authorizing them to carry as retirees under the CPC which segues to their LEOSA carry.

Is this the result of the PC movement over the past few years or have you old timers witnessed this throughout your times? Sorry for getting OT. I just find it disheartening that some of these administrations would "toss out" veteran members who gave their lively hood and sanity to the blue line.

[omgwtfbbq]

Stress management and work-life balance is always a hard topic for LE, particularly for those who have shift work. Missing time with family, working holidays, on top constantly being bombarded with the darkest parts of society and human nature would put even the most well adjusted person in a precarious place emotionally.

Lately my efforts have been around maintaining a decent activity level outside or work and compartmentalizing my relationships. I have a lot of coworkers and friends that work in LE but when I'm off, I try to associate with people who do something entirely different. For me, it's good to spend time not having to talk shop in my off hours. I don't need to be reminded about work when it's not work time.

Also, and I've taken some flak for this, I meditate regularly. Not cross your legs funny and hum a mantra meditating. More clearing your mind of all the unnecessary thoughts running around in your head. It's worked great for me.

As more and more work is done in the areas of PTSD I think we are starting to learn that prolonged exposure to even mild stress can cause negative effects. I read a paper recently on a new subset of PTSD that is being called Moral Injury that is being observed in non-combat Military officers (like intel officers) and Drone operators. Essentially the idea is that being exposed to something that violates your personal moral code over a period of time, may cause emotional or psychological trauma. Whether or not its true is up to more educated people than I, but it's interesting to consider.

I spent the first few years of my LE career supervising Child Abusers and Domestic Violence offenders. Two things I have very little patience for, and not only did I have to supervise them, but I had to be nice to them. That's not easy on your brain sometimes.

[ls2monaro]

I'm only 8 years into my career but I was lucky enough to work an assignment where a lot of older cops were "put out to pasture." The ones who lived and breathed police work were a mess when they retired. The guys who had a solid family life with hobbies had a much easier time getting rid of the cop life when they retired.

I leave my badge, uniform, and work in the locker room at eow. Off duty there is no cop talk, no wearing anything that could even possibly be construed as police related, and I don't hang out with any cops off duty unless it is a special occasion.

I do carry a gun off duty but I'm not getting involved in anything unless the loss of life is imminent. I never follow up to see what happens to my cases when I arrest someone, after the arrest report is done, the case is out of my mind.

I am also a fto, and my focus is to teach the new kids on career survival just as much as life survival on the street.

Most cops at my dept have more stress stemming from fear of being on the late report list, violating policy & procedure, IA investigations, etc. rather than more important stuff like dealing with an armed 211 suspect or not becoming complacent and staying sharp on that alarm call.

[kmccaush2]

My best form of stress release is spending time with my family. Sure, I workout, go shooting and enjoy reading but nothing makes my day like a hug from the kids, playing with the dog or just looking at my wife and wondering how I got so blessed.

Stay safe.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[AR15Man]

Thanks. Things are good now. I still have nightmares sometimes, but I've learned to cope with them. A mild form of PTSD according to one doctor I spoke with, but nothing to worry about.

+1

Thank you for on-duty response to incidents that John Q Public couldn't fathom how to handle.

I've also fought duty induced nightmares, but after I was taught that PTSD IS A NORMAL HUMAN REACTION TO THE EXPOSURE OF THE UGLY SIDE OF LIFE OR A CRITICAL INCIDENT it helped me process things a little easier.

I've also learned; When you're down, You really have to relive and enjoy the highlights of your career, (as we've done things that most people dream of or make movies about).

Take care RS

ARM

[jc0311]

Luckily I don't have any nightmares of the things that I've seen however I do try to leave the job in the locker as much as possible. I find that keeping your mind busy helps a lot. For me it's my passion for Harley Davidson motorcycles, muscle cars, drawing, shooting and working out. Never been to much into drinking. Luckily LASD has great employee service support team with some good docs to talk about the stressors of the job.