Mental Illnesses and Addictions

The high incidents of mental and psychological health consequences for law enforcement personnel are enough to highlight the need to monitor the mental health of all law enforcement officers. According to the US Department of Justice’s reports, 15% of officers suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder aka PTSD (26% have symptoms, but no official diagnosis). Following a traumatic or exceedingly stressful event, people suffer getting back to their normal lives. While situational, the effects of PTSD can last a lifetime. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety attacks, avoidance behavior, lack of emotional response, hyperarousal, and negative or paranoid thoughts/patterns (Medlin 66). Secret Service Agent Colleen Doyle explains, “Burnout is definitely a thing.  I try to be aware and check in with myself, but at times it can just hit you out of nowhere. After I responded to an Active Shooter incident, I definitely experienced some PTSD symptoms.  Thankfully, I had peers and my therapist to debrief with post crisis and attending Mass for me is truly my calmness and place of peace” (C. Doyle, personal communication, June 21, 2022). 

Dealing with PTSD often leads to depression and anxiety, and lends itself to suicidal idealogies as a result of the trauma being dealt with.  According to The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Dallas, 44% of officers are currently diagnosed with or dealing with symptoms of depression. Depression is described as feelings of hopelessness and a heavy weight of sadness regarding life itself. Symptoms of depression include tense or sore muscles, asocial tendencies, impulsivity, fatigue, anger, difficulty sleeping, and suicidal thoughts (Medlin 58). Patrick McCurry (former Fairfax County, VA cop and Drug Enforcement Agency officer) explains his struggles with depression as a result of the job, saying, “You start to think that everyone is a criminal and are always ultra cautious. You see the bad in society by looking at people kind of sideways. You can start to see the worst in the world and the worst in people. You see murders, rapes, robberies, beaten children, dead children and things like that. You take that and don't really process it, and then you go to the next call” (P. McCurry, personal communication, June 6, 2022). The reality is that this job truly does impact you psychologically. 

According to Frontiers in Psychology, 30% of officers are currently diagnosed with or dealing with symptoms of anxiety. Symptoms include new phobias, irritability, trouble concentrating, fatigue, and social withdrawal (Medlin 74). Secret Service Agent Sean Donnini deals with anxiety as a result of constantly carrying a firearm and working on the job. This anxiety carries over into his personal life, and he says, “A lot of the time I wake up to check the house in the middle of the night at random hours, and I constantly set and reset the alarm to ensure my family’s safety” (S. Donnini, personal communication, June 9, 2022). Law enforcement plays a protector role in society. You must be ready to defend anything that comes at you, and this can truly consume officers up internally. The constant worry or fear of running into a criminal or even worse, a criminal coming into contact with someone you know and love (like family, best friends, etc) makes a lot of law enforcement anxious. Unfortunately, anxious thoughts and behaviors are often treated with substance abuse.

According to Psychology Today, 25% of officers struggle with substance abuse (drugs, narcotics, alcohol, nicotine, etc). The most common is alcohol abuse because heavy drinking is so normalized in our society. Symptoms of alcoholism include unhealthy fluctuations in weight, dehydrated skin, hair, and nails, craving, withdrawal, ignoring health problems, and mood impairments (Medlin 78). Following alcohol are drugs like heroin, meth, cocaine, nicotine, and opiates. Symptoms of drug addiction include using alone, obsession over the substance itself, financial difficulties as a result of indulgence, respiratory diseases, and cancer (Medlin 82). Former FBI Agent Mark Aysta said that he knew it was time to retire from the job after 30 years when he began drinking to cope with work (M. Aysta, personal communication, June 6, 2022). It is important that officers monitor themselves and are able to draw the line between having a good time versus endangering themselves and others regarding substance consumption. 

According to the American Police Officers Alliance, 1 in 4 officers have considered committing suicide. Suicidal thoughts and tendencies oftentimes come when dealing with depression, or anxiety, and severe stress. The life of a law enforcement officer is one that lends itself to internal struggle, especially when dealing with the traumatic events that employees see each day. Those who abuse substances are more likely to deal with suicidal thoughts or tendencies. The Suicidal Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) lists the symptoms of suicide, stating that they are, “talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself, looking for a way to kill oneself, talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose, talking about feeling trapped or being in unbearable pain, talking about being a burden to others, increasing the use of alcohol or drugs, acting anxious, agitated, or reckless, sleeping too little or too much, withdrawing or feeling isolated, showing rage or talking about seeking revenge, and displaying extreme mood swings.” Secret Service Ombudsman Bill Doyle expresses the importance of his job, saying that as the ombudsman, he is the one who looks out for all of his employees. He emphasizes the importance of “recognizing your highs and lows both in yourself AND in the people around you” (B. Doyle, personal communication, June 6, 2022). Agents work 12-16 hour work days with no time off, and suicide rates are higher in law enforcement compared to other citizens. Bill performed extensive research with colleagues, and helped create a three day training course on suicide awareness for the Secret Service that is presented annually to employees. Bill states, “When you’re working with people all the time, you start noticing things and have to go about asking the question of depression and suicide in the right way” (B. Doyle, personal communication, June 6, 2022).

Stress plays a major role in the mental illnesses and struggles that disproportionately affect law enforcement officers. In a study at the University of Arkansas, stress for law enforcement is broken into four different subcategories: police work stress (shootings, violent crimes), department stress from policies and practices (administrative decisions from above), external stress (courts) and internal stress (emotions and personal struggles). The most important thing for a law enforcement officer to do is to learn how to cope with this stress in a healthy way by finding an outlet that brings them peace and serenity. For some it is exercise, others it is reading. A few other examples of healthy outlets are working with children, seeing a therapist or counselor, taking prescribed medication from a trusted care provider, hiking/exploring nature, prayer, Mass, service, Adoration, and more. A study done at Nova Southeastern University states that “police officers are subjected, daily, to critical incidents and work-related stressors that negatively impact nearly every aspect of their personal and professional lives. They have resisted openly acknowledging this for fear of being labeled” (Craddock 2022). Fear of being seen as weak or vulnerable is a prime concern for those in the field of law enforcement. They never want to let their guard down. This makes dealing with mental illnesses very difficult because you cannot cope with mental illness without accepting that it IS a substantial problem.