Mindfulness versus panic
How to cope with stress and mentally survive your job
It is your first day on the force. You are as green as a blade of grass. Like most rookies, you may want nothing more than to impress your training […] Read More
September 2020
A thing called hope
One cop's journey with PTSD
Several years into my career as a police officer, I began experiencing depression, nightmares and mood swings. My level of awareness swung between irrationally heightened and frighteningly numb. My work […] Read More
What I should have said to my friend
If you had the chance to convince a fellow officer not to commit suicide, what would you say?
He was the old bull on graveyard shift. He worked west beat and I was the eager young gun on the adjoining river beat, and I loved him. He occasionally […] Read More
Straight talk on police and suicide
The myths, the warning signs and how to help
These are uniquely stressful and difficult times for police officers and their families. In my 25-year law enforcement counseling career, I have never seen anything like it. The effects of […] Read More
CopLine: An officer’s lifeline
You are never alone
“CopLine, what’s going on?” Those are the first words a caller hears when those 10 numbers are dialed, (800) 267-5463 — 10 numbers that will connect you directly to a […] Read More
How I found light in my darkest hour
Five years ago, American Police Beat published the story of how I was terminated from my small-town police department due to work-related post-traumatic stress disorder. When I learned APB was […] Read More
The weight of the badge
The burdens officers bear aren't just physical; here's how to handle them
A friend complaining about his weight grumbled that after years of eating unhealthily, he’d gained 50 pounds! He added, “Over the years, the police job has made me too lazy […] Read More
Building the resilient brain
An officer’s survival guide
As the public discourse around behavioral health has grown — one in six American adults are living with a mental health condition, after all — law enforcement organizations around the […] Read More
Protecting the protectors
How police departments can help alleviate officer stress and contribute to mental well-being
A law enforcement agency’s number one priority is to keep its community safe. But what happens when the officers charged with that responsibility aren’t protected from the pressure and stress […] Read More
How early intervention for PTSD and depression saves lives
Suicide among America’s men and women in law enforcement remains a tragic epidemic. The number of self-inflicted casualties among police officers has continued to climb since the 1980s, according to […] Read More
Discover your escape from pressure
Seven easy steps to have more of what you want
Money stress? Feeling criticized? Dealing with kids or family? Regulations got you down? Sometimes it seems like nobody has your back. Maybe it’s time to learn to focus on outcomes […] Read More
Three essential elements for mental wellness support
Minnesota case study shows how peer teams can help
The phone vibrated on the kitchen counter. Dr. Heather Rose-Carlson looked at the caller ID, took a deep breath and answered. “Hi, Doc,” the caller said. “You got a minute? […] Read More
