There is a quick way for you to find out if you have anxiety, and you can do this without anyone knowing. Google “Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)” and you should find links to several free versions of this questionnaire. The BAI is a good anxiety assessment because (1) it is short (21 questions) and takes less than five minutes, (2) it is educational (each question is a symptom of anxiety, so it increases your awareness as you go) and (3) you can score it yourself when you are done. Feel free to complete it every 30 days or more to get a snapshot of your mood at that time.

Is what you are worried about likely to actually happen? If it did happen, what could
you do about it?

Causes of anxiety in law enforcement

• High-pressure job, high-pressure situations, high-pressure expectations: You deal with serious crime and human suffering. 
• Irregular work hours, long work hours, mandatory OT: They say, “Jump,” you say, “How high?” 
• Exposure to violent or traumatic critical incidents: You have witnessed children and the innocent suffering, and you may have nearly escaped death yourself. 
• Lack of department leadership support, lack of city leadership support, lack of spouse support: You continue to do the job (as trained) regardless of personal and family inconvenience, and despite Monday morning quarterbacking sometimes coming from all sides. 
• Public mistrust: You have had fingers pointed at you, and you have been lumped in with those who have tarnished the badge. 
• Relationship conflict, unhappy spouse, family disconnect: You are a public servant who has put the greater good above your own. 
• Recent big change or loss: You have been promoted, admin transferred, had a death in the family or had a co-worker die in the line of duty. 
• Unpaid bills, debts, collections: The inability to afford bills is often the number one cause of anxiety, even among average citizens. 
• Significant illness or injury, chronic pain, functional limitations: You worry about the pain, its consequences, your recovery and how others will perceive you being off work IOD. 
• Social isolation, being truly alone, disconnected from others: You are not getting the support you need and deserve. 
• Family history of anxiety, panic or other mental health concerns: Due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors from the job, you may be more prone to experiencing anxiety.

Ask yourself

What are my worrying thoughts? Write them down now. Write them down verbatim. You are conducting an internal excavation (aka your own investigation) to unearth the root of the anxiety.

Are the worrying thoughts about the present or the future? This distinction is important to understand the nature of your worry and how to possibly intervene with yourself.

If the worrying thoughts are about the present, are they factually true? For example, the thought “I can’t finish this report” is only factually true if, say, you get an officer down call right now, or if the patrol captain calls you into his office now. 

If you believe your worrying thoughts are factually true, what is the supporting evidence? For example, did you actually get an officer down call, or did your CO actually call you into his office? 

What is the evidence that opposes your worrying thoughts? For example, this may be a tough report to write, but you have written tough reports before, and there is nothing requiring you to be pulled away from this tough report at this time. 

Is there another way to think about the situation that is causing the worrying thoughts? For example, what would your positive role model think about writing this tough report? What would the police union this about this? What would Joe Q. Public think about this? 

If the worrying thoughts are about the future, is what you are worried about likely to actually happen? What do you think is the likelihood of it happening from 0% to 100%? 

If it did happen, how bad would it be for you, and what could you realistically, appropriately, legally and morally do about it? This is where consulting with key others (e.g., work partner, spouse, primary care physician, department chaplain or psychologist) is beneficial. 

What physical feelings of anxiety am I having right now? This can be one or a thousand things, such as chills, thirst, fatigue, nausea, fainting, twitches, vomiting, dizziness, weakness, chest pain, headaches, elevated blood pressure, rapid heart rate, muscle tremors, shock, grinding of teeth, visual difficulties, profuse sweating, trouble breathing or heaviness. 

How can I reduce these physical feelings of anxiety? Holistic health indicates that you can intervene in any area, and it will necessarily impact the whole system. So consider physical interventions, including regular exercise (even if only walking), breath control (to regulate and smooth your breath in and out), getting the sleep you need and taking any medications as prescribed. Consider nutritional interventions, including avoiding caffeine and alcohol (which can trigger anxiety), focusing on lean meats and limiting carbs (which can also send your system into overdrive). Consider psychological interventions — which, by the way, you are doing right now by reading these thought strategies. You might want to Google how to counter your negative thoughts with more positive rational ones. You might want to engage in pleasant activities and enjoyable hobbies for healthy mental distractions. You also might want to consult with the department or EAP psychologist for tips to make life easier. In addition to physical, nutritional and psychological interventions, you might also want to consider spiritual interventions (e.g., prayer, meditation, reading holy books, being thankful, forgiving those who have wronged you or utilizing the department chaplain).

What do I need to do now to change (or at least improve) my situation? To help alleviate immediate symptoms, consider shifting your attention to your breath. Pace your breathing. Smooth it out. No one at work or home will even know that you are doing this. Changing your breath alone can move you from the fight-or-flight response to the relaxation response. Next, work on identifying and addressing the root cause of your anxiety, and this is where the department or EAP psychologist can be very helpful. And then build long-term resilience; this tends to involve lifestyle changes (such as work–life balance) and positive coping strategies (such as breath control, physical exercise and remaining mindful of what you are eating and drinking that impacts your mood).

What do I need to do now to move on from these worrying thoughts? Shift your attention to what
you need to be focused on. Do what you are supposed to be doing right now, and put your attention there. Be mindful about the real task at hand. Consider: When you are worrying, what is it that you are not doing? This is an important clue.

Self-help aids for anxiety

Self-help podcasts focused on anxiety include The Anxiety Guy, The Anxiety Coaches and Owning It: The Anxiety Podcast. Self-help apps focused on alleviating anxiety include Calm, Headspace and Mindshift CBT. There are also mood-tracking apps and CBT-based apps. Many apps are free or offer limited versions that are free. Self-help wearables for anxiety include Embr Wave 2, Muse 2 Headband and TouchPoints. Head-banging music or fast-tempo songs will not help you, but nature sounds are known to help calm anxiety. Google “nature sounds youtube,” and you will find — at no cost — forest waterfalls for sleep, ambient nature sounds in a relaxing meadow, rainstorms, birdsongs and more.

Surf the waves

There are many reasons why cops might be anxious. As the saying goes, “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” You can intervene with your thoughts, get to the root of the cause and restore a sense of well-being. You can even take a snapshot of your mood every 30 days (if so desired) to monitor your progress. You deserve to be healthy!