Suicide. One word that has a big impact. Chances are that many of you reading this article have been personally impacted by suicide. Perhaps you lost a partner, friend or family member to suicide. Perhaps you have thought about dying by suicide at some point throughout your career or lifetime. Whatever your connection to suicide, you are not alone. At a training I conducted with law enforcement officers, I asked, “How many of you have been personally impacted by suicide?” The entire room raised their hands.

The unfortunate reality is that we continue to lose officers to suicide each year. Just one death by suicide is too many. There are numerous occupational hazards that contribute to suicide risk among cops — shift work, police culture, post-traumatic stress, burnout, job dissatisfaction, alcohol abuse, work investigations, administrative stressors and access to lethal means (firearms), to name a few. Other personal life stressors such as retirement, dealing with a serious illness or injury, financial issues, and strained marital and family relationships pose additional risk factors. Despite the increased visibility of this issue and the many organizations and initiatives aimed at suicide prevention, suicide is still highly stigmatized within the law enforcement community. The question is, why?

You have a village of people and resources available to support you. Do not walk through this alone.

One of the common concerns officers have about seeking help and disclosing suicidal thoughts is career survival. There is an incorrect assumption that if you tell a clinician you experience suicidal thoughts, your gun and badge will be immediately taken away. As a police psychologist, I can tell you that my colleagues and I want you to get the help you need and keep your job. All licensed mental health professionals have a legal and ethical duty to protect and preserve life. If you endorse thoughts of suicide, we will work collaboratively with you to help you stay safe as you work through whatever experiences are contributing to these thoughts. This means developing a safety plan that includes:

• Ways to reduce access to lethal means (i.e., temporarily storing your firearms in your work locker or with a trusted friend, family member or partner)
• Things you can do to cope differently when experiencing suicidal thoughts (i.e., talking with a trusted friend or reaching out to a peer, chaplain or clinician)
• People you can call for help or spend time with to reduce isolation (i.e., friend, family member, clinician or a 24/7 confidential hotline such as CopLine)
• Attending treatment with a licensed mental health professional
• With your permission, bringing in a trusted friend, spouse or family member to help you stay safe while you are experiencing thoughts of suicide

Only in certain cases is involuntary psychiatric hospitalization required when immediate danger to self is present. For example, when an officer refuses to engage in treatment once they have reached the mandatory reporting threshold or when they are so impaired that they cannot meaningfully participate in their safety plan.

Experiencing thoughts of suicide is a complex experience. It shapes how a person thinks, much like how depression, anxiety and trauma can alter thinking and perception. I often think of it as experiencing psychological pain coupled with tunnel vision. In other words, the distressing nature of feeling suicidal can transform thinking into a sort of emotional tunnel vision with only one way out. Thoughts like “My family is better off without me” or “I’m better off dead” can start to sound like logical solutions to whatever issues you are struggling with. Talking with an experienced clinician can help you alleviate the distress you are feeling, reframe your thinking to generate healthier coping options and gain additional tools to help you work through these thoughts without engaging in reckless behaviors or suicide attempts.

Please know that if you ever experience thoughts of suicide, you are not alone. The occupational hazards of police work and personal life stressors contribute to officer suicide risk. The law enforcement community has started to embrace seeking help, and there are so many resources available to help you find the support you need. Here are a few of my personal favorites:

• The Overwatch Collective: theoverwatchcollective.com
• The Wounded Blue: thewoundedblue.org
• CopLine: copline.org — 1-800-COPLINE (1-800-267-5463)

Seeking professional help from a licensed mental health professional is essential if you are experiencing thoughts of suicide. To be clear, thinking of suicide does not mean that you are crazy. It means that you are experiencing intense psychological suffering and need relief. The goal of therapy in both outpatient and intensive treatment settings is to help you alleviate your suffering and learn healthier ways of coping with whatever situations are contributing to your distress. This requires you to attend therapy, actively participate in your own treatment and utilize the skills and tools provided. Additional supportive resources such as a trained peer supporter or law enforcement chaplain can also be helpful. You have a village of people and resources available to support you. Do not walk through this alone. You deserve to heal, and you deserve to be alive. This world is better with you in it.