By Philip Paz
“PTSD is a made-up illness.”
That was a comment made by one of my partners while we were on break from a tactical training session. A few of us were discussing a recent on-duty officer-involved shooting involving an officer from our department. During the conversation, someone asked if anyone had checked on the officer and wondered how he was doing in the aftermath of the critical incident. The conversation had steered toward critical incidents and mental health issues in the military and law enforcement when the PTSD comment was made. The officer who commented had the age-old thought process of “Shake it off and get back to work.”
The impact of dismissing PTSD
When the PTSD comment was made, several things went through my mind which I have given much thought to over the years.
As law enforcement, we like to espouse that we are a brother and sisterhood. I have personally always felt this way myself. I have friends for life from my 40 years in the military and law enforcement. I cherish the camaraderie. But as in any family, there is the human element of dysfunction to certain degrees. At times, we tend to eat our own, so to speak, by ridiculing or shedding a negative light on officers who seem to be in a downward spiral after being involved in a critical incident. By doing this, we can actually cause officers to shy away from seeking much-needed assistance.
The Oklahoma City bombing: A personal experience
During my years as a police officer and in the military, I’ve seen many different types of people with many different types of physical and psychological makeups. Stress and trauma from critical incidents can affect people very differently. To add to this, the stress and trauma from years of these incidents, many horrific, accumulated in the mind, can lead to a host of mental health issues.
I had just over three years on the Oklahoma City Police Department when, on April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh bombed the Murrah Federal Building in Downtown Oklahoma City. My wife was across the street in the Journal Record Building at the time of the blast and was seriously injured. I responded to the scene along with hundreds of other officers and rescue workers. With hundreds injured and 168 killed, including children, it was a nightmarish and horrible scene for months to come. It haunts many of us to this day.
At the time, the city and our department made resources available to police, fire and other affected employees and responders. Group and solo counseling with mental health providers was offered extensively. Department chaplains were always available, and time off was given if needed to those, such as myself, who needed to be with family. Employee assistance was offered extensively in the aftermath of this incident.
After the bombing, in retrospect, it is clear many officers were greatly impacted. Over the years, while speaking to fellow officers and partners, and sharing stories of what we saw, heard and smelled at the scene, the impact of the bombing obviously took a toll on many of the officers to different degrees. Many officers did well and actually thrived in their careers and personal lives afterward. Unfortunately, however, some had great difficulty dealing with the situation, later leading to tragic results.
The importance of wellness programs in policing
Many departments across the country have formed wellness-type support units. The Oklahoma City Police Department, for example, formed a Wellness Unit and provides critical incident support to its officers and their families as well as the law enforcement community throughout the state of Oklahoma.
The department’s Wellness Unit has officers who offer peer support during critical incidents along with trained civilians and clergy personnel. The department has also enlisted the aid of three therapy and wellness dogs for employee support. According to The National Institutes of Health, interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood. I have also seen the companionship and mental health benefits trained service dogs give to many military veterans as well as former first responders.
Mental wellness is crucial for effective public safety work. In this video, Gordon Graham, Lexipol co-founder and risk management expert, explains the four dimensions of mental wellness: mental, emotional, social and psychological. These dimensions impact how we think, manage emotions, connect with others and make decisions. Watch the video to learn how to promote mental wellness within your team and enhance overall resilience
The power of therapy dogs in law enforcement
The benefits of therapy and wellness dogs are well-documented in many different studies. A UCLA Health paper on Animal-Assisted Therapy Research says in part, “The simple act of petting animals releases an automatic relaxation response. Humans interacting with animals have found that petting the animal promoted the release of serotonin, prolactin, and oxytocin, all hormones that can play a part in elevating moods, lowering anxiety, helping people relax, providing comfort, and reducing loneliness.”
Many of us have pets for companionship. Personally, my wife and I have a little Party Yorkie we love. We’ve recognized these benefits for years. Unfortunately, I hear and read comments by active and former officers who view these therapies in a negative light. A recent post on an online police group page about the department’s therapy dogs saw some comments by older and retired officers disparaging the program. They see this practice as a weakness and joke about those who participate. I firmly believe this mindset helps stigmatize seeking mental health for younger officers and may discourage officers from seeking the help they need after critical incidents.
Is your department considering adding a wellness dog to its ranks? Check out how Murphy, Chula Vista (Calif.) PD’s first official wellness dog, is making his mark at the department by boosting officers’ morale and mental health.
Changing the culture around mental health support
We need to be mindful of the tremendous pressures placed on law enforcement officers today. Department heads and administrators should strive to offer all the mental health support and services available to their employees. But it is also important for the law enforcement community, active or retired, to be supportive of our brothers and sisters still in the field enduring critical incidents, the pressures of the job, and the life that goes with it.
Older officers need to realize the influence their actions and words can have on younger officers. I recently attended a reunion of our Tactical Team where we were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the creation of our Tactical Team. Although I’ve been retired for three years, I met young officers on the team who thanked me and told me I had influenced them to try out. I also talked to some old-timers who were role models to me and heavily influenced my career when I was a new officer.
The point is, young officers do sometimes listen to what the older officers and retired guys have to say. That is a huge responsibility in my mind. I don’t want to be the reason an officer is afraid to seek help for his mental wellbeing if needed. It is not a weakness.
About the author
MSgt. Philip Paz spent 24 years with the USAF in the Security Police Field, retiring as a SMSgt. He spent 29 years with the Oklahoma City Police Department working the streets in patrol. He worked stints in the gang unit as well as the Homeless Outreach Team. MSgt. Paz was a Field Training Officer for 25 years. He was also a member of the Tactical Team as a sniper/operator/team leader. MSgt. Paz was CIT trained and certified for over 20 years, responding to hundreds of mental health-related incidents.
