Police Career - How to Keep Police Stress Syndrome From Taking Over Your Life

The law enforcement profession is legendary foran important job, but the human mind just isn't
its high stress. It is repeatedly in the top ten ofdesigned to exist in a continuously shrinking frame
most stressful jobs. And there's nothing like policeof reference and the full-blown cynicism that
work to make a candidate for 'bringing your workcomes with it. Try to get out when you can,
home with you', because you naturally encounterkeep socializing in your civilian life, stay current
things on the job that take some processing inwith the culture. Maybe have a hobby or interest
the off hours to deal with.that takes you far away from the job. It helps
The first tip is to lose the macho exterior. Asyou remember that the whole world isn't one
John Wayne said, courage isn't not being scared.huge drama, and that there's still a lot of things
Courage is being scared as heck - and saddling upworth living for.
anyway. Acknowledge that you have picked aTake advantage of your force's stress
tough job to do, and that you're only too human.management and counseling services. No matter
Expecting huge reserves of guts from yourself,how tough you think you are, the procedures and
going around denying it by saying, "It doesn'tpractices your department puts in place are there
bother me.", this doesn't help you psychologicallyfor a reason. Employee assistance programs were
work with and move past the issue. Being able toput in place to respond to the high incidents of
face the fact of stress helps you vent it to yourstress disorders affecting officers in the field.
peers (or doctor, if need be), and move past it onEspecially after a critical incident, you are, indeed,
your own.either in shock or dealing with some stage of
Second, it may be perfectly OK to have a drinkgrief. Even if you think you can handle things just
when you feel like it. But if you find yourselffine on your own, talking to the councilor never
stopping for a drink every single day after youhurt anything.
get off your shift, that's a big trouble sign. PoliceLearn when the time comes not to sweat the
work has one of the most frequent instances ofdetails. Police work seems to bring out the
alcoholism, with police more likely to developperfectionist nature. After all, attention to detail is
alcoholism than nearly every other profession. Thea survival skill. Not only that, but you're
problem is not so much the alcoholism itself, assurrounded by perfectionists. Your peers and
that after a while it becomes your automaticsuperiors all had the same rigorous training you
answer to everything. Anything, even water, isdid, and there's still a little drill sergeant left in
bad for you if you do it too much. The key is toeverybody from their academy days. But going
moderate. By all means, if you just went througharound expecting everything to be perfect all the
a scene where weapons were drawn and youtime is just unrealistic. We do live in an imperfect
need a drink to stop your nerves shaking, that's aworld, which is why you have your job, after all.
different matter.Revel in your family. The families of officers
Don't take it personally. This especially applies toreceive a lot of residual stress from your job; it's
the pressure you get from the top. No mattertough for them, too. If you have a spouse and
what, every officer feels they deserved thatkids, there's almost no limit to how much time
raise or promotion every time it comes around.you should spend with them, and it helps all of
Every officer gets frustrated when they seeyou keep a stronger family unit. Family problems
another not doing his or her job with perfectare another famous occupational hazard of police
ethics, or feel stressed out at the inherentwork. Most especially infidelity is a frequent result.
inadequacies of the system. These are naturalYou should realize that serial affairs, like alcoholism,
problems, but if they didn't happen to you, they'dare just another escape mechanism that is likely
just happen to somebody else. It just happenedto have you mentally trapped. It doesn't even
to you this time. An officer's career is likely tonecessarily help if your spouse is also an officer;
have many ups and downs, and officers do tendwhat you actually need is the perspective of
to experience emotional drama over things thatsomebody who doesn't wear a uniform every
affect their career. It's just how things goday.
sometimes.The bottom line is, police work is a special job
Take a step back from the monoculture. After athat is prone to some of the greatest challenges
while, officers tend to identify so much with theirof any profession. You are in the role of trying to
job and their peers that they become unable tobe a hero to society, but don't forget to be a
see things from any other perspective. You do dohero for yourself.