Police Officers and PTSD

It has been reported through research that 15%-35% of Police Officers across America suffer PTSD. PTSD caused by a traumatic event or citical incident that the Officer has been exposed too. The symptoms can range from moderate to severe depending on the type of critical incident and how often one has been exposed to critical incidents. PTSD can also come about from the stresses of the inside infrastructure of the job as well. As I often heard, it’s more stressful inside the department than it is outside the department.

Police work is one of the most dangerous and stressful jobs in the world.

Police officers are at risk for experiencing stress due to the various threats, or stressors, inherent in the profession. One type of stressor unique to police officers is the level and intensity of danger they are exposed to on a daily basis. Although extreme and rare incidents such as shootings and riots are innately dangerous, common tasks such routine car stops and calls regarding domestic violence can also have dangerous and even deadly consequences for police officers. There is no such thing as a routine car stop. In the life of a police officer, life and death situations can occur on a daily basis, without warning.

Police officers are not well received by the public either. Usually, everytime a police officer is in public, the first reaction from the community is “what’s wrong”.  Does this need to be changed, of course it does but will it? I hate being negative in anything I do but I have to say No.

If you are suffering PTSD and don’t know where to turn you can friend me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1258603255 or “Like” my page dedicated to overcoming any obstacle life throws at you and achieving what you deserve in life http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Achieve-Success-Academy/246640965374976 or email me at John@JohnSalkowski.com.

Mandated PTSD Detection

There should be local, state and federal mandated training amongst local, state, federal law enforcement and the military regarding early detection signs of PTSD among officers. I can remember receiving a telephone call at home from one of my commanding officers. He ask me how I was feeling. I told him that I felt like someone beat me with a bat, lethargic, exhausted and achy. He stated, “maybe you’re coming down with the flu”. This was a 25yr veteran who was aware of the stressful incident I had encountered just days before. He should have been aware that this was my body reacting to all the stress and adrenaline that I had gone through just days before.

With-in months of this incident, I was back on patrol. While on patrol I received a radio call of an asthma attack of a 19yr old female inside a coffee shop located in the Bala Cynwyd shopping center.  Radio announced that the medics were dispatched.

I arrived at the location. I went to my truck to get the bottle of oxygen we carried.  As I entered the store I noticed a group forming near the counter. People were yelling, “over here”. I noticed a young black woman sitting against the counter having difficulty breathing. I placed oxygen over her face and reassured her that medics were on their way. With-in seconds the young lady went unconscious. I radioed to dispatch on the medics eta. There on their way, radio reports.  I began to panic internally. I began getting extremely nervous. My breathing began getting heavier. I started to shake. I radioed again on their eta. There on their way, radio reported again. It felt like an eternity. The medics finally arrived and took the young lady to the hospital.

After this call, I was called into the supervisors office. As I entered the police department I went into the dispatch center for paperwork. There was a patrolman working the dispatch center. He stated, “you cried like a little bitch over the radio”.

I went to the supervisors office where I met the Sgt. on duty. He questioned me as to what happened on the medical call. He told me that, “we as officers are to show no emotions, be stone faced and do not allow any external factors to waver our emotions”.

He didn’t know that I was suffering from PTSD.

Suffering PTSD: The challenges I faced

When I was going through my internal torment with PTSD I felt that the outer world was just plain cruel. It seemed to me that no one cared about anyone or anything but themselves. I realized that we live in one egotistical & self centered world. Everyone was out for themselves. If it didn’t involve or affect them they didn’t care. They turned a blind eye to it. I was calling out for help in so many different ways now that I look back on it and no one was there for me. You sure can tell who your true friends are when you need someone the most. I was suffering PSTD for christ sake. They thought, “he’s faking it”. Everyone turned their back on me. They never returned my calls or emails. They acted as if I no longer existed. Why? I ask this over and over again in my mind. It made me crazy angry knowing that I had to face this battle alone. It made me bitter, resentful to a point where I hated everyone including cops. I was a cop. I hated myself for choosing this career. Then I ask myself why did I choose this career path. The only answer that would come to my mind over and over again was because I cared about people. I wanted to make a difference in someones life. I wanted to make a difference. Period! I than discovered that 95% of the cops I worked with didn’t feel the same way. It was an ego trip for them to carry around that badge and gun. They were macho. They felt like the shit. 95% of cops in my opinion during this difficult time were insecure human beings.

Incident leading up to being diagnosed with PTSD

Hello, my name is John Salkowski and I am a retired Police Officer of 15yrs who  suffered PTSD for many years before being diagnosed. While on-duty I was working the 11pm-7am shift on January 10, 2000. I was on patrol working a beat that was relatively busy as far as crime was concerned. The events that will unfold this cold night will forever change my life.

Approximately 3:55am, the police dispatcher reported an armed robbery just occurred at the A Plus mini mart. The actor was described a black male wearing army fatigues last seen getting into a white Hyundai sedan last seen traveling east towards my location. The dispatcher reported that the actor beat the clerk over the head with a club and reached into the cash register till and stole money.

I was located east of that location so I started to head up to an intersection that I thought he may approach. With-in minutes, I radio to the dispatcher reporting my observations of the white Hyundai sedan now traveling north. I activated my emergency devices on the car (lights/Sirens) and began to pursue the vehicle while reporting my location, direction of travel to radio dispatch. The suspect eventually stopped the vehicle moments later. The events that unfolded shortly after were life changing.