How Little Is Too Little For Ptsd?

[T.W.]

Hey,
This my first post. A little about me; 17 year patrolman for a suburb of a large city in Tennessee, just finished a 10 year stint as a K9 handler and I'm seeing the signs of ptsd.
My question is "How little is too little to say if I have it or if I dont?"
I've seen the suicides, the natural deaths, the car crashes, been in a number of pursuits (both foot and car), have suffered concussions and even a major back surgery.
A lot of police officers have seen just as much or more as I have and they seem fine. Am I less of a man because I can't handle as much as anyone else?
When is enough really enough?

 

[Sighs]

Its not about being more or less of a man. My combat PTSD vet is a genuine decorated war hero. He is not less of a man for having PTSD.

Your colleagues "seem fine". They probably think the same thing about you.

The earlier you get professional help the better. Even if you are not "diagnosable" - get some help to manage whatever symptoms you are experiencing.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

One thought is that it is important to not compare yourself to others. We are all different in how we react to traumatic situations. Some people can come through trauma and be OK, while others can develop post traumatic stress symptoms. Someone isn't stronger or better or more of a person (man) simply because they are able to handle it better.

I'd say that you've definitely seen enough in your line of work to be affected by it all. I'd go so far to say that even one incident is enough to cause symptoms in some people. You are not weaker or less of a person because you are seeing the signs of PTSD. I urge you to seek out professional help so that you can start the healing process.

 

[franciemarnie]

Welcome!

You are no less a man for having PTSD. There are reasons why some people get it and some don't in similar situations. One reason might be you never released the trauma energy after experiencing trauma. Animals in the wild do it automatically, or they would all be sort of frozen and disabled after coming across a scenario with another animal where they could have died. Animals in captivity are more likely to get PTSD if terrorized. They can't take flight or fight.

You might consider reading Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine to learn more about PTSD, how it happens, how it changes the body/brain, etc.

It is also possible there was trauma in your childhood, which was reawakened on the Force.

You will find a wealth of information on the forum and in its articles. I am glad you found this place!

 

[NarcSis]

Welcome to the forum, I hope you find the support you need.

A diagnosis of PTSD is not based on quantity, especially in the emergency services, it is based on the degree of intrusion into your daily ability to cope with life and meeting the criteria for PTSD as diagnosed by a qualified psychologist. I would suggest that if you are feeling disruption in your life, you should speak to a therapist, with PTSD there is no room for self-diagnosis, it is a disorder that needs prompt and appropriate treatment.

You're not less of a man for feeling affected by the things you've been exposed to in your job - you're human. I beat myself up repeatedly for having developed PTSD after a particularly tragic call when the partner I had that day got off relatively scott-free (he had some protracted post traumatic stress but didn't get PTSD). The impact of witnessing repeated tragedies can add up, especially if each was shrugged off and your emotional reactions not dealt with at the time.

I would definitely suggest that you speak to a psychologist, therapist or counselor to help you start to deal with the effects of your job. Hugs.

 

[Lucycat]

Please don't consider too little - or too much for that matter. It has affected you, then you need to seek help. I minimised my problems at the beginning. My t quickly pointed out to me this is not a competition. If it is affecting you then you deserve to get help. End of.

 

[RussH]

To answer your question: No you are not less of a man if you have PTSD from the things you have seen. If anything, it tells me you are a man that has a greater capacity to care for his fellow human beings, and had trouble reconciling what you have seen with how you feel about others

If you want to talk about struggling with PTSD and your manhood? I worked for nine years as a paramedic in larger metropolitian areas and have seen it all; did that give me PTSD? No mine comes from having been bullied. Talk about a blow to your manhood.

PTSD is a psychological injury caused by trauma you have experienced, or simply witnessed. It is no less manly to suffer this kind of an injury as it would be to break your arm. An injury is just that: an injury.

Having said that, welcome to the forum. You will meet a lot of really good people here that will understand what you are dealing with, and will be able to offer you their friendship and support. I hope you avail yourself of what is offered here.

 

[Justmehere]

Hi, welcome to the forums and thank you for all your years of service.

You might find page 2 of this document very helpful. Link Removed It details a study on how many police officers have had PTSD or some symptoms of PTSD. (It’s the majority of them.) Other studies have been done that back up the data in that study. There are also studies that have been done that show police officers have the highest rates of alcoholism, divorce, suicide, etc, etc. So others that may seem fine, but who knows what things are really like for them at home or how they might be self medicating.

As far as you having symptoms vs other officers not having symptoms and that having anything to do with being less of a man or weak, I’m not sure I would see it that way.

I see it as YOU being the one with the self awareness, courage, and strength to recognize you are having symptoms of a lot of events having an very normal impact on your nervous system.

I think the real question is, do you have the courage to ask for help to heal?

 

[T.W.]

Thanks for all your replies.

 

[Tinyflame]

Welcome T.W. If it is ptsd, it just is, so best to accept it & get on with getting the help & resources that will help you, & help you to feel better.

 

[T.W.]

The only thing that I worry about is the stigma that asking for help will put on me.
Police Administrations aren't usually receptive when officers ask for help. Their opinions are that people that ask for help are seeking more than help. In my experience, they're more likely to admonish me or make me appear to be a trouble maker.
Any thoughts?

 

[Justmehere]

I think that very attitude by administrators is why there is such a high rate of PTSD in Law enforcement. My trauma therapist said invalidation is the number one environmental factor that contributes to development of PTSD after trauma. She said it correlates with development of PTSD more than even the severity of the trauma.

By getting help, do you mean getting therapy and treatment? Do you have health insurance? If so, and if you go the route of using your health insurance to get treatment, by law, your treatment providers should not be able to tell your work anything about it. Not even the fact you are their client. (There are a very few rare exceptions for a serious threat to harm self, others, kids, or as part of a criminal investigation, but in general, if the provider told anyone, it would be a serious breach of the law.)

Or do you mean getting accomodations (and in ADA, Americans with disabilities act, accomodations) or another form of assistance from them like personal leave time or greater understanding? All of those are often useful requests, and completely your right to request. It doesn't make you less of a person to need or ask for those things. But you would also be right and wise to consider the possible stigma that you may go up against.

My hope is that since you have been with the department so long, they know you as a good person and credible officer first, and that they would see your asking for help in light of that.

When officers are out looking for criminals, I can see how everything gets seen a certain way, and doubted. But when you are an officer asking for help, especially one that they have kept on the force for so long, my hope is that your request for help would seem all the more legit.

Also, the way you see you (concerned you are not deserving of help is not necessarily how others will see you. I sometimes get concerned others are angry with me me like I am angry with myself, when often, they are fine with me and in projecting my fears on to them.

That being said, I think it's wise to consider in advance how to handle any stigma you might come up against.

You are by no means alone in any of this.