Police Trauma and Addictions

Police Trauma and Addictions

Tabel of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………1

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder………………………….2

Substance Use and Abuse………………………………..3

Alcohol Abuse Chart…………………………………….3

Trauma Strass Interventions……………………………..4

Conclusion……………………………………………….4

Bibliography……………………………………………..5

A study of 852 police officers found that nearly 50 percent of male and 40 percent of female officers consumed excessive amounts of alcohol. Excessive amounts of alcohol is defined as more than 8 drinks per week at least twice a month or over 28 drinks a month for males and more than 6 drinks per week at least twice a month or 14 drinks a month for females and that nearly 90 percent of all officers consumed alcohol to some degree. Law enforcement officers face traumatic incidents daily. These events are unexpected and sudden and they are well beyond the bounds of normal experience. These incidents can have profound physical, emotional, and psychological impacts on officers, even for the best-trained, experienced, and seasoned officers. I have researched this topic because I want people to better understand the physical and emotional demands that a police officer must meet every day and the affects from the stress of it. In the following report I cover the topics of post traumatic stress disorder, substance use and abuse, trauma/stress interventions, and the effects of them on police departments and their officers.

There are an estimate 623,000 police officers employes in the United States. It haas been argued that police officers are at increased risk for mortality as a result of their occupation. The average age of death for a police officer is 66 years old. (Law Enforcement Wellness Association) The ability to cope with stressful incidents is a personal journey that depends on an officer's past experiences with trauma. Appropriate development of coping strategies for stress is the ability to talk to family, friends, and other officers and to be able to recognize the dangers of ignoring signs and symptoms of post-incident stress. Regardless of an officer's personal experiences with traumatic incidents, avoiding, ignoring, or burying the emotional aftermath of a traumatic event can lead to serious short- and long-term consequences. Many officers believe that substance use and abuse is the best way to cope with their otherwise unbearabl...

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...sp; All members of the law enforcement community have an important role to play when it comes to evaluating, intervening, and treating trauma and addiction. When officers suffer the aftermath of trauma, they are not alone. Many officers may see themselves as weak or abnormal if they seek help, and believe that admitting psychological or emotional pain will result in disciplinary action and, perhaps, job dismissal. Not only do the officers suffer from their trauma but, importantly, their colleagues, the families they love, and the public they have sworn to protect and serve all suffer.

Bibliography

FBI Law enforcement Bulletin. “Critical Incident Stress In Law Enforcement.” [Online] February/March 1996. www.fbi.gov/publications/leb/1996.txt.

National Center for PTSD. “Post Tramatic Stress Disorder.” [Online] February 2005. www.ncptsd.org/facts/general/fs_what_is_ptsd.htlm.

Law Enforcement Wellness Association. “Police Psychological Trauma.” [Online] www.cophealth.com/article/articles_psychtrauma.html.

Law Enforcement Wellness Association. “Dying From the Job; The Mortality Risk For Police Officers.” [Online] www.cophealth.com/article/articles_dying_a.html.