War vet with PTSD

Hello everyone. I was trying to do some research and came across this website. I thought it wold be good place to get some feedback. Last February I applied with the Colorado State Patrol. I finally have an appointment to the January class. One my last test, the Psych test. I put down I had been diagnosed with PTSD while leaving the military. Of course this took them back a little. Dpes anyone know of some like me that is in LE now with any problems? I feel I have come a long way since then. I just don't know what to do or say to the doc. I have been wanting to be in LE since the first time I tried to get out of the Army. Seven years later I am out and now my dreams are almost there. In my research about PTSD and LE it seems to me that LE and military have the same problems with PTSD, so I hope if anything that I am seen as already prepared to deal with gruesome scenes. Just my thought though. Any ideas would be appreciatted. Dan

First off, good luck attaining your dream!

I'm sure that what the doctor will look for, is your ability to cope with your PTSD, and if you see it as a barrier or an advantage.

I have a couple family members that have dealt with PTSD. My cousin has been unable to cope well, and it's been a constant hurdle. My uncle coped very well, and was very successful in his life.

It really depends on the department, and if you're coping with PTSD in a healthy, productive way.

At also depends on your psych eval. Normally if there are questions about it you will have to go talk to a psychologist and depending on his/her recommendations to the dept is what will happen. In all honesty I havent heard of anyone who tanked a psych eval that has been hired.

Monday I go to the Army base hospital to get approval from them to be in LE. The Colorado State Patrol pyschologist wanted there approval. Hopefully I get it. I am pretty sure they will help me out. Thanks for for all the feedback. If you are interested I will post what they say later. I feel I am dealing with my PTSD well. I was in 2nd Ranger Battalion for awhile and have been to some bad places. But I think am stronger now then I ever have been. I hope they see that too.

I did it. Like it was mentioned before, it would depend on how well you cope with the PTSD. The psych tests will reveal that when you apply. I had to go one step further and have a sit down with a head shrinker here during my process, even though I passed my written psych test. I am good to go and do not have any problems now. Still have the bad dreams on occasion, but I can deal with that.

First off thank you for your service. Second good luck in reaching your goals in life. I just want to say that if you are truely dealing with your PTSD in the right way then you should not need to tell any one what they want to hear but be truthful and they will see this. If you only tell them what they want to hear and half-truths then you will find that sometime later that will come back to bite you in the ass.

Good Luck.

Thank you for your service to the country.

I don't want to sully your dreams but I would venture a professional guess that if the Psych wants a release from the military you are probably receiving a stipend disability from the military for PTSD. If that is the case, and the military gives you a release, you will probably have to forfeit any further support from the military.

If the military does not give you the release, you may not be hired by the CSP because of the attending issues associated with your problem. PTSD is considered an emotional stability issue and in most agencies is an automatic disqualification.

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor and hope you are able to attain your quest.

Lucky for me I work for the Dept. of Veterans Affairs as a Police Officer. I have been diagnosed with PTSD, but thats because of nightmares. Nothing at work or daily life that gets in the way things. I am seeing a shrink, just because it's the right thing to do. As long as you pass the psych and the Doc clears you you are good to go, dont let this slow you down, if it does then you are a victim of the disorder instead of a victor over it.

I read a book several years ago - I think it was called "Surviving Trauma" and it was written by a Vet. I'm not sure if it's still in print, but he had some great things to say.

One of the most empowering things I read, was his assertion that trauma survivors have an expanded viewpoint of the world, and you shouldn't feel bad that you may react differently to situations due to your experience. You are only crippled by the experience when you lose the ability to correctly evaluate the threat.

When I trained for Peer Support, I found that many who were involved had also been through shootings or suicides. They use their experiences to support their beat partners.

Well I made some copies of the paperwork the Pysh Dr gave me from the CSP. I dropped it off to a Dr I saw in the Army when i was in and I also went to the Army hospital here. I will go back in an hour and see what's up. I think my old Dr is going to blow me off. :( I think the Army dr's are going to be cool. I think I will bring a box of doughnuts with me. :) Thanks again for the opinons. I like to hear both sides of the coin. I think I handle it well Much better then I used to. Of course I was having back surgery and my exwife had just left and I was getting a discharge and no job. lol Thanks for listening to me piss and moan, Dan

A few things... Fresh in my mind from spending a day in a class taught by David Grossman. (www.killology.com)

To qoute... "PTSD is not like being pregnant; you can be a little PTSD." and, most importantly, "There is NO SHAME IN GETTING HELP!" PTSD is very treatable. You seem to be getting help; the question is do you have a 10 lb PTSD, or the 300 lb whopper PTSD? If it's a little bit of it, you can probably pass a psych eval, so long as you show that you've been properly treated and are coping, and have developed or learned effective coping strategies. In fact, you might be better prepared for some aspects of police work because of the PTSD! Look up "stress innoculation." In fact, I'd strongly suggest reading On Combat and On Killing. They may give you some good insights.

I kind of suspect, based on your last post, that maybe a militay doc jumped at a quick & easy diagnosis, as well. You definitely had some other major stressors going on there... I'd discuss it with a private psychologist. You might be able to adjust that diagnosis.

Thank you for your service; thank you for being willing to put your life on the line to protect the freedoms we enjoy. And good luck to you.

Check your PMs, sent ya a message about it, and being from Colorado, may be able to help you.

The Army dr's just had me sit there from 7:30 to about 2:00. and not much help. I did find all my eval paperwork and overnighted it all to the Pysch doc. My wife is more stressed out then I am. lol CSP Sgt called me last night and asked whree I would like to be stationed. lol I hope these are not false hopes. I know I am ready, I hope the Pysch doc can see it too. Thanks again for all the help here. Very glad I came across here.

Hey, I work for the CSP.

Where are you at exactly? The psych parts? If the Sgt is calling AFTER you went through the psych eval, then you pretty much are in. Or at least when I got it, that was how it worked. Things have changed a bit though. All of that really depends on being cleared by the Army docs. Like the others have said, PTSD is looked at as an emotional stability problem, and generally people with those issues don't pass th e evaluations.

I don't know your particular situation very well for sure. If you have questions, PM me. I can also try to help with any other CSP related questions you might have. Good luck with it!

Thanks guys. I was cleared by the VA doc today and she wrote some nice things about me to the psych Doc. I called her about two hours later, but think that she has not read the stuff she has recieved yet. The Army called me and said there doc had signed off and I was "good to go". So I htink I have to positive references. I think the problem for the pysch doc is she does not understand that my disability pay from the VA is not really the same for cvilian disability. Hey CW Mock hopefully I will be cleared and be able to go out to Fruita. Is that a good place out there? I wanted to be by the springs, but nothing available right now. All this waitting is giving me an ulcer. I have been waitting since Thursday and I leave for Germany the 20th for a week. I hope I hear something today or tomorrow. SO DAMN CLOSE TO BEING IN.

Fruita seems okay. I took my written and poly out there. Its the western slope, and that is all I am going to say about that. It was not the kind of place that I was interested in, but I know some really good guys out there.

I am stationed on the front range.

Good luck with it all. I know that the guy CSP uses for psychs is about as nutty as a damn fruitcake, and hard to deal with sometimes. Keep us updated!

PS - if you don't like it, you can transfer. They just dropped the 2yrs at a station rule, so you can apply for transfer at any time now pretty much.

Nice about the transfer thing. I was thinking we (my wife and I) had to wait two years. Thanks for the tip. I have not heard back from the Doc yet. Not sure if that is good. I think they are still seeing lots of people though. So she was probably swamped. Hopefully tomorrow morning I will hear something.

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Originally Posted by normanviking

Hello everyone. I was trying to do some research and came across this website. I thought it wold be good place to get some feedback. Last February I applied with the Colorado State Patrol. I finally have an appointment to the January class. One my last test, the Psych test. I put down I had been diagnosed with PTSD while leaving the military. Of course this took them back a little. Dpes anyone know of some like me that is in LE now with any problems? I feel I have come a long way since then. I just don't know what to do or say to the doc. I have been wanting to be in LE since the first time I tried to get out of the Army. Seven years later I am out and now my dreams are almost there. In my research about PTSD and LE it seems to me that LE and military have the same problems with PTSD, so I hope if anything that I am seen as already prepared to deal with gruesome scenes. Just my thought though. Any ideas would be appreciatted. Dan

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I am not LE.Not even sure if I can post here yet.I would like to say THANK YOU.For the service,which in civilian terms means All the hell you have endured,and most will never know.I did notice that you said you have been wanting to be in LE,since the 'first' time you tried to get out of the Army.If I could be the wompass cat to ask why you wanted out so bad?May I?I might be able to help you if I knew that,for it is very important.I am not anyone who could dictate your future,but I imagine if you want to be in LE that bad,You will get asked the same question from your 'future commanding officers'.I'm not trying to be an ass.I'm for real.Why did you want to go so bad?

The Military is not for everyone. It is not easy to explain. One of those things you have to find out for yourself. I was supposed to get out when my first enlistment was up and was stop lost. I had heard one of the Washington Sate troopers talk about the state patrol there. Then I re-ernlisted for a bonus and was stationed in Colorado. I then heard a CSP Recruiter on the base here talk about CSP and thought I really liked what he had to say. Ever since then I wanted to try out LE.