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veteran offcers can succumb to cumulative effects of prolonged exposure to tragedy and loss over time. Post-Traumatic Stress Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is defned by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as the development of specifc characteristics after being exposed to a traumatic stressor. It occurs from direct exposure to an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or witnessing such an event with another. Symptoms develop due to an inability to adapt to the event and the event, regardless of the type or severity, overwhelms an individual���s ability to cope. Not every incident will result in post-traumatic stress. Not every offcer has a propensity for developing a stress-related disorder. There are factors within the law enforcement profession as well as individual offcer characteristics that make them more susceptible. Without proper preventative measures and post-incident intervention and support, that risk increases exponentially. Following a traumatic incident, an offcer may experience many of the common trauma symptoms, including sleep diffculties, disturbing memories that create anxiety, inability to concentrate, and emotional numbing. Though the offcer experiences the symptoms, they directly affect family members as well. Offcers may be easily aroused and have diffculty calming down. In addition, they may be more irritable or show frustration with even minor issues. Police offcers may not always have positive support and commonly turn to maladaptive coping mechanisms such as alcohol or drugs to disengage from reality. The concern is that law enforcement also has a very high rate of suicide, which is related to job stress, though not yet accepted as such. Primary Source of Support Law enforcement personnel experiencing these life-altering events will likely use, or try to use their primary source of support ��� their family. Although family may be the frst choice for support, they can inadvertently exacerbate the problem through misunderstanding and unknowingly incorrect approaches. During these highly emotional periods, offcers are vulnerable and give their friends and family members a sort of unwritten authority for helping. Family, co-workers, and close friends will seemingly provide comfort and recommendations similar to counseling, but lacking in any foundation beyond the typical intuitive conviction. Even with the best of intentions, laypersons tend to provide opinions and extemporaneously relay a similar experience in their life as a means of lessening the traumatic shock. Although they may feel they are trying to lessen the burden of the pain by sharing their own experience, it is not always interpreted as intended. Positive social support is a very prevalent means for coping with the stress of trauma. Law enforcement co-workers can be a detrimental part of the social support system, providing advice is given sparingly with proper empathy. Fellow offcers typically want to show their support to their troubled comrade and continuously offer guidance, words of encouragement, and their willingness to help. Again, though admirable, they may overwhelm the offcer and create additional stressors particularly if they have to explain or repeat details of the traumatic event. Those who indulge their own curiosity by questioning them about the event, even supervisors, may Just becoming a police officer does not insulate you from the effects of experiencing trauma or of being exposed to trauma. further compound the trauma response. It is also not appropriate to assume just because a person may have experienced a similar past traumatic event, they can fully appreciate the other���s experience or their feelings are even similar. Critical Stress Debriefng Many of the emergency professions utilize Critical Incident Stress Debriefng (CISD), which is a semi-structured method for managing critical incidents through group sessions designed to normalize the emotions that follow a critical event. CISD is a great tool for educating and keeping the work family together and validating each of their feelings and concerns. One of the known factors that can contribute to an offcer externalizing distressing events is their perception of a traumatic event coupled with their previous experience. The CISD can be benefcial in validating their feelings as well as correcting any misperceptions they may have about the event. While the family bond within law enforcement does serve as a very important emotional support, the close bonds an offcer develops with co-workers during this emotional period may inadvertently force a disconnection and withdrawal from using their family for support. Offcers commonly tend to feel those outside of the law enforcement community cannot understand their work or what they have been through. Share Versus Alienate Furthermore, offcers make a conscious choice to not share things with their family in an attempt to ���shield��� them from exposure to their work-related trauma. The exclusion of the victim���s natural support network is one drawback of CISD and can inadvertently further alienate family at a time when it may be at its highest need. Another drawback to CISD is that information shared during the group process is not always protected information that can prevent offcers from sharing openly. Often times, facilitators are from outside agencies and while conducting the debriefngs, they are fully aware of the grieving process. Unfortunately, the facilitator may lack a full understanding of acute trauma as well as stressors specifc to law enforcement including the jaded and at times, distrustful environments in which they work. CISD is one of many different treatment modalities. However, it www.lawandordermag.com 35