Mental Health for Law Enforcement

1. Mental Health for Law Enforcement Traumatic Stress (Excerpt)

2. TRAUMATIC STRESS

3. TRAUMATIC STRESS What is it? Traumatic stress is characterized by anxiety and develops after exposure to a stressful event usually involving an extremely terrifying event such as combat, death, assaults or exposure to a phobia (like spiders). PTSD has only been a diagnosis since 1980 but was recognized since the Civil War. It has been referred to as “shell shock”, “combat fatigue” and “gross stress reaction”. Much like depression you can’t just “snap out it” and treatment generally revolves around a combination of medication and therapy. Symptoms Most symptoms mimic clinical depression and will also include extreme paranoia, avoidance of people, places or things related to the triggering event. Nightmares are also common.

4. Levels Mild: A general uneasiness when facing similar situations or places connected with the trigger event. A heightened anxiety when conducting a traffic stop after a high-speed pursuit. This does not normally prevent normal activity and can be treated with local communication therapy. Moderate: A higher level of anxiety that will tend to interfere with normal activity associated with the triggering event. Nightmares and other symptoms will start to arise. Professional therapy with low level medications may effectively treat the disorder at this level. Severe: An extreme level of anxiety across all facets of daily life including those outside of the triggering event. Normal activity is prohibited. Nightmare and a wide range of symptoms will be manifested. Professional therapy combined with medications can treat at this level. The most severe cases may require hospitalization for focused treatment. Traumatic Stress