Imagine living in a world of constant danger. Every step you take puts you at risk of attack. Every direction you look is a constant threat to you or your family. Thank goodness we are closing our eyes and just imagining this. What if I told you this is the reality that law enforcement lives in everyday. When you join the police academy, you will spend hours on officer safety. There is a saying in law enforcement and the military. It says, “Stay alert, stay alive”. Then, during FTO (Field Training), officers are graded on officer safety. You are taught to stay alert 8,10, and 12 hours a shift. An average person’s resting heart rate is 60 – 100 beats per minute. An officer’s normal resting heartbeat will average over 100 beats per minute. Law Enforcement throughout their career will witness everyone’s worst day. They will comfort domestic violence victims and car crash victims and console you after you lose your loved ones. It’s no surprise when we get home after a shift or on days off; we want to sit in our chairs and relax. This is law enforcement’s escape from all the evil the ugly world throws us.
Anxiety
It’s challenging to provide an exact percentage of law enforcement officers who experience anxiety, as this can vary significantly based on numerous factors, including individual susceptibility, job demands, work environment, and personal circumstances. Law enforcement can be a high-stress occupation due to the nature of the job, exposure to traumatic events, long hours, shift work, and challenging situations. Several studies have highlighted mental health issues, including anxiety, among law enforcement officers. According to research published in the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology and other sources, rates of anxiety disorders, depression, and PTSD may be higher among law enforcement personnel compared to the general population. Efforts to address mental health within law enforcement agencies have been increasing, emphasizing the importance of providing mental health support, resources, and training to officers to help them cope with the stressors of the job. Although things are starting to trend in the right direction, law enforcement leaders are not doing enough. I will address this problem in a future article.
Therapy
If you are a first responder, you should seek treatment once a month. I call it brain maintenance. You could think of it as preventive maintenance on your brain. You wouldn’t continue to drive your car with no tread on tires. No, you would maintain your vehicle. You have to do the same with your brain. This is where you will learn about exposure therapy. Exposure therapy is a therapeutic technique used in the treatment of anxiety disorders, phobias, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and other related conditions. The primary goal of exposure therapy is to help individuals confront and gradually overcome their fears or traumatic experiences in a controlled and safe environment. Although today we are not talking about a traumatic experience, we are talking about the general anxiety cops naturally get while doing the job. The anxiety that keeps them from enjoying the beauty of life. Here is a small example of how exposure therapy helped me tonight.
Christmas Lights
Every year, my wife wants to look at Christmas lights. I know that I will look at Christmas lights sometime between December 10th and December 20th. Today was that day for me and my family. I knew this was coming and had already convinced myself I wouldn’t argue with her. I know she enjoys it, and I needed to prepare myself for it. So I did, and this morning, when she asked if we could go, I immediately told her yes. But the story is over there. All day, I had to purposely get myself in a good head space about the adventure. Just because I agreed to go did not mean I would enjoy or look forward to it. I know when my anxiety starts to flare up, I become irritable and can ruin a family outing fast. Let’s face it: I have sometimes completely lost my cool, and we drove back home. I told myself today that was not going to happen. So when my wife said it was time to go, I loaded the little one and jumped into the car. I had to force myself to calm down, but we would have a good time.
Parking
We drive to Rhema Parks in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, to view the Christmas lights. About a mile out, the traffic becomes busy and nearly to a standstill. We make our way to the parking lot, which is packed with cars going in and out. I could feel the world starting to close in and my anxiety moving in for the kill. We pull into the parking lot and locate a family leaving. My wife put on her turn signal to alert the drivers behind her that she would wait for that spot. It felt that we waited 20 minutes for the people to leave and for us to park. When we parked, my wife told me to calm down at least three times. I listened, took a few big breaths, and exited the vehicle. Again, I told myself it was going to be okay. We walked up to the Christmas lights’ entrance and noticed people everywhere. To put into words how many people were there is impossible. If you were to tell me that many people were going to be there, I would not have gone. One thing cops don’t do well in crowded areas with their families. I told myself to get my shit together and don’t ruin my wife’s night.
A Great Night
Cops miss so many beautiful opportunities to enjoy life because we are stuck in a false narrative that this world is out to kill you. This world is dangerous; evil could attack you, but let’s face reality. Is it going to happen during a family night out? Is it going to happen on a date night with your partner? Is it going to happen at all? The odds of you getting attacked are very low. So go out and enjoy your life. Expose yourself to things you are uncomfortable with to be able to spend more time with your family. This is not easy to do; I have spent hours and hours in therapy, read about exposure therapy, and taught officers all over the state about the effects of trauma. Even I still struggle and have to force myself to enjoy life. Today was no different, but it was a great night, and memories were made. If I can do it, so can you!
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