Today is National PTSD Awareness Day

Today is National PTSD Awareness Day in the United States and should be a call to action for law enforcement to begin discussions about PTSD within our organizations, and begin the processes needed to manage and treat this disorder which plagues so many within our ranks.

Many law enforcement officers, many members of the armed forces, women and children who have been victimized and many many other people around the country and the world suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and we… still have much to learn about this disorder.

Today is a day to learn, discover and help ourselves and others afflicted by this disorder.  You can learn more from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD website by CLICKING HERE.

At The Law Enforcement Survival Institute we train law enforcement officers to cope with stress and manage all the toxic effects and hidden dangers of a career in law enforcement.

Consider hosting one of our on-site training programs for your agency entitled “Armor Your Self™”.  For more information CLICK HERE or to send us an email CLICK HERE.

Here are some resource we are aware of specific for law enforcement:

The two best crisis hotlines I know of for cops are “SAFE CALL NOW” at (206) 459-3020 which is staffed by first responder volunteers many of whom are police officers.

And the Cop2Cop program run by the New Jersey Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health and UBHC University Behavioral Healthcare  at 1-866-Cop-2Cop (1-866-267-2267)

The CopsAlive.com blog is written so as to start a discussion within our profession about the issues we cover, and we welcome you sharing your opinions in the Comment Box that is at the bottom of this article.

The “Tears of a Cop” website also offers “Signs and Symptoms of PTSD” at http://www.tearsofacop.com/police/ptsd.html

Lisa Wimberger is our CopsAlive Contributing Writer on Stress Management.
You can visit her website at http://www.tpconsultinggroup.com

In our CopsAlive Interview with Chris Prochut he mentioned his work with the organization Bring Change to Mind http://www.bringchange2mind.org/

Here are links to some of our other articles and interviews on the stresses of law enforcement and PTSD:

Wellness Advice From a 30 Veteran of Law Enforcement
https://www.copsalive.com/wellness-advice-from-a-30-year-veteran-of-law-enforcement/

As A Police Officer How Would You Handle PTSD or a Disability?
https://www.copsalive.com/as-a-police-officer-how-would-you-handle-ptsd-or-a-disability-or-both/

Police Officers Need to Learn to Manage Stress Before it Ruins Their Lives and Careers
https://www.copsalive.com/police-officers-need-to-learn-to-manage-stress-before-it-ruins-their-lives-and-careers/

The Pain Behind the Badge
https://www.copsalive.com/the-pain-behind-the-badge/

As Cops We Must Prevent Police Officer Suicides
https://www.copsalive.com/as-cops-we-must-prevent-police-officer-suicides/

Creating Peer and Family Support Groups for Police Agencies
https://www.copsalive.com/creating-peer-and-family-support-groups-for-police-agencies/

Here are a couple of other national suicide hotlines: 1-800-SUICIDE(784-2433) OR 1-800-273-TALK(8255)

CopsAlive.com was founded to provide information and strategies to help police officers successfully survive their careers.  We help law enforcement officers and their agencies prepare for the risks that threaten their existence.

We do this by Helping Law Enforcement professionals plan for happy, healthy and successful lives on the job and beyond.  We think the best strategy is for each officer to create a tactical plan for their own life and career.

The Law Enforcement Survival Institute (LESI) works with individuals and organizations to help them create and sustain success in their lives and careers as law enforcement professionals.  It is the primary goal of The Law Enforcement Survival Institute to become the preeminent source for training, resources and information about how to create and sustain a happy, healthy and successful life and career while providing superior law enforcement service to your community.

CLICK HERE if you would like to contact us to learn more about training for your organization.

I’m John Marx, Founder of The Law Enforcement Survival Institute and, the Editor of CopsAlive.com, please connect with me on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Consider hosting one of our on-site training programs for your agency entitled “Armor Your Self™”.  For more information CLICK HERE or to send us an email CLICK HERE.