Depression, anger, hypervigilance, loneliness, guilt, addiction

[1168]

Crossposted on LF, and intended for public sevants.

Loneliness, anger, guilt, hypervigilance, depression, alcoholism

Guys,

I want to touch on mental health. Many of us carry these symptoms, and more.

Loneliness is the constant companion of many who have had to take a life in the line of duty. Many are lonely and isolated because of similar reasons.

Guilt is equally common among those who have lost a partner or battle buddy in a fight. I wear a black bracelet that keeps me up at night. There is no shame in survivors’ guilt.

Depression and hypervigilance are endemic in our population. Hypervigilance is sometimes manifested by not being able to sit with your back to a door, or obsessively avoiding crowds. Some of us also wake up to peek out of windows. Some of us struggle with the need to turn off the constant urge to pull security, and use booze to shut this instinct off.

Addiction to alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, prescription and otherwise, is common in our population.

Alcoholism and suicide are epidemic among cops, Soldiers (Marines, Airmen, Sailors, Coasties), firefighters, and medics.

Seek help before it gets out of hand. If it gets out of hand, seek help anyway. Seek help now. Seek help yesterday, and tomorrow. Here’s a scratch at the surface of resources available.

http://www.theiacp.org/COSW-Mental-Health

http://www.ffbha.org

https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov

https://www.militaryonesource.mil/veterans

https://www.naemt.org/initiatives/ems-mental-health

https://www.leadthewayfund.org...additional-services/

There are more resources

PM me if you need to, so I can help you get the right resource to help you. If you are running into relationship problems, pissed off all the time, drinking more than you want to, you need to talk to me or someone more qualified than me. I guarantee there are people available that care about you. The VA is very responsive in my area, and I would be more than happy to help you find the fastest resource in your area.

I’m begging, please don’t make me wait for the 911 call.

Hit me up, or any of the proper resources.

[Krazykarl]

Great post! We are all control freaks. We are all type A personalities. We are all afraid. I feel it and I see it at work. I talk to the probies to make them aware that it happens. It slowly changes who we are until suddenly it has set in and personality change has occurred.

[VARIABLE9]

Thank you for all this.

[26 Inf]

Great post! We are all control freaks. We are all type A personalities. We are all afraid. I feel it and I see it at work. I talk to the probies to make them aware that it happens. It slowly changes who we are until suddenly it has set in and personality change has occurred.

Speaking strictly to new folks entering le, fire, ems:

One of the mistakes I see many folks make upon entering the fire, EMS and police professions is that they immediately limit their contacts to othe folks in that profession.

While that process may be not solely the new member of the profession's choice, it is important that officers make an effort to keep old contacts and make new ones outside the profession. It helps perspective.

Additionally, when we hang with only co-workers, quite often the conversation is 1) works ****ed up; 2) everybody hates us. Then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Something that helped me was callbacks/followups. At first when we were assigned to do initial followup on our own cases I was very resistant and put upon. Being a good troop, though, I complied. What I found in most cases was an entirely different vibe from the first initial call. Folks were appreciative that you had stopped back and were glad to see you, there was a different kind of connection. I became one of the policies biggest supporters.

I'd sum it up like this - if you want to be wanted, if you want a pat of the back, your actions should position you back to get that pat; that it isn't going to happen driving around, isolated in the unit, waiting for a call.

I know for many officers the shift often is call-to-call, but when you get that break in the action, make a contact.

ETA: 1168, thanks for caring!

[flenna]

Speaking strictly to new folks entering le, fire, ems:

One of the mistakes I see many folks make upon entering the fire, EMS and police professions is that they immediately limit their contacts to othe folks in that profession.

While that process may be not solely the new member of the profession's choice, it is important that officers make an effort to keep old contacts and make new ones outside the profession. It helps perspective.

Additionally, when we hang with only co-workers, quite often the conversation is 1) works ****ed up; 2) everybody hates us. Then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Something that helped me was callbacks/followups. At first when we were assigned to do initial followup on our own cases I was very resistant and put upon. Being a good troop, though, I complied. What I found in most cases was an entirely different vibe from the first initial call. Folks were appreciative that you had stopped back and were glad to see you, there was a different kind of connection. I became one of the policies biggest supporters.

I'd sum it up like this - if you want to be wanted, if you want a pat of the back, your actions should position you back to get that pat; that it isn't going to happen driving around, isolated in the unit, waiting for a call.

I know for many officers the shift often is call-to-call, but when you get that break in the action, make a contact.

ETA: 1168, thanks for caring!

Truth^^^^^^.

[_Stormin_]

Additionally, when we hang with only co-workers, quite often the conversation is 1) works ****ed up; 2) everybody hates us. Then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This is solid for any profession... I do a lot to make sure that I have a broad group of friends I hang out with outside of my industry because coming home from work to hang out and talk work sounds like a terrible plan to me. It's good to have some folks to vent to, but it's great to have some people that just want to shoot the sh!t about life.

[223to45]

"pissed off all the time"


Yeah, that pretty much describes it.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[sundance435]

Great post! We are all control freaks. We are all type A personalities. We are all afraid. I feel it and I see it at work. I talk to the probies to make them aware that it happens. It slowly changes who we are until suddenly it has set in and personality change has occurred.

So true. I wouldn't trade the invaluable life experience I gained from being in LE, but the personality change that goes with it for most of us is downright scary. One thing that helps is to try to keep the friends you have outside of LE to help balance your perspective and life, but you also have to fight the feeling that they "don't get it" when you are with them.

[sundance435]

Sorry for the double tap.

[The_War_Wagon]

Our Church works diligently to help our vets who made it back (https://www.lcms.org/ministry-to-the-armed-forces/operation-barnabas), re-integrate to family, community, and church. If you ARE LCMS, talk to your Pastor about this - he'll know how to find the resources and people you need to be around. If you'd like to find out more, punch in a zip code, and look us up (http://locator.lcms.org/nchurches_frm/church.asp).

[Todd.K]

Vet Centers are under appreciated.

No professional would recommend it because tobacco=bad, but I found smoking a pipe is a very relaxing ritual. Less bad than, and may help some people quit or stay quit from cigarettes.




... the feeling that they "don't get it" when you are with them.
That is exactly where the loneliness can come from. People around but feeling like nobody really understands you is a lonely place.

[Ron3]

Good post.

I wasn't a Police Officer long before I learned what the paths were. None of them looked good. I saw no role models. I was probably too young.

I got out quickly. I still think it was the right decision for me.

I now work amongst/with LE but not a LEO. I'm very thankful for the better officers out there.

Maybe in another place, or time, I would have stayed in. Too bad, I think I had a lot to offer my community, but the community doesn't support the Job.