Having completed 30 years of police service with the Metropolitan Police in the UK, I have experienced first-hand the effects of trauma on the body, both mentally and physically.
At the time I was serving, I was in a very peer-pressured environment. Admitting that he feels stressed, tired, or struggling would be a sign of weakness. Which in a Firearms role, would lead to the withdrawal of his Firearms Authority. This was something no firearms cop ever wanted.
The consequences of this pressure led to officers suffering in silence and when questioned by colleagues or supervisors, not admitting that they were struggling to cope. It would take a major mental health crisis, before anyone knew it, and in some cases it was already too late.
Why are police officers so skeptical about professional help? Quite simply, we believe it will have a detrimental effect on our police careers and prevent us from performing the roles we apply for or already do.
Despite all the expensive research and studies done, the problem remains breaking the stigma and reassuring the police, it’s okay to not be okay.
So the million dollar question is, how do we end the stigma?
What will convince the cops to admit they are fighting?
The magnitude of both tasks became very clear when I first introduced Yoga to Firearms Officer. At first he was met with amusement and derision, from being called a tree hugger to pink and fluffy! Undeterred, however, we identified what was causing several officers stress. Injuries sustained due to surveillance, transporting heavy equipment, assaults or simply wear and tear. We then promoted the physical benefits of Yoga, maintaining flexibility, stretching old scars and tired joints. This had an immediate impact on their well-being, but what we found was that they were more responsive to the meditation section of the yoga session, and in some cases reported that it was the first time in a long time that they had really relaxed.
Success, we had introduced them to the benefits of yoga and more importantly meditation. Sessions are now oversubscribed, additional sessions are constantly being requested to meet demand.
However, the problem I had with this initiative was that I was simply reacting to a problem. What he wanted was to provide early intervention. This was going to be another tough nut to crack!
How do we detect the first signs that someone is struggling?
To achieve this goal, we needed to improve our awareness of mental health. The vision was to have Blue Light Champions (BLC) on every team/relay/unit. These would be our eyes and ears on the ground.
Officers would be informed of their BLCs and encouraged to speak with them. Additionally, BLCs could identify to members of their own teams that something was wrong, misbehavior, absenteeism, or isolation. Something that a stranger to the team would not immediately recognize, as they were unaware of previous behavioral traits.
The next stage of our mental awareness initiative was to train as many frontline supervisors as mental health first responders. This would equip them with the essential tools to not only identify the signs, but also the confidence to deal with the Officer.
Both BLCs and Mental Health First Responders knew what support was available to Officers, whether through the Occupational Health Unit, or Police Charities and other agencies.
So now we had a model where we could identify the first signs. the next stage was to build resilience in the Police. How could we prevent officers from getting burned out or sustaining stress-related injuries?
This next stage involved a number of different approaches.
First, we look at one of the most common causes of stress, sleep, or lack of sleep. By educating officers about the benefits of a healthy sleep regimen, we could give them a better awareness of how it affects their bodies, both mentally and physically. If only we could demonstrate how easy it is to follow a healthy sleep regimen and improve your sleep quality by making a few minor adjustments to your sleep readiness. This would reduce the amount of stress and build your resilience.
Below, we look at how to deal with acute stress after a traumatic incident. It is well known that if you are aware of how your body reacts to certain events, we are better able to recognize that what is happening is a perfectly normal reaction. This in turn will reduce the amount of anxiety associated with that event. Incorporating a series of coping strategies, breathing exercises, muscle relaxation and meditation. We were able to demonstrate how easy it was to control the mind and reduce anxiety.
The momentum of the Project was rapidly gaining the interest of other Officers and Staff. Which in itself was therapy! The officer no longer felt that there were no options, no support, or no one listening. We were going to need more Yoga teachers!!
For more information on wellness initiatives and personalized mental health first aid courses for first responders, contact Trojan Wellbeing.
There is also an active peer support group now running on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mentalhealthtrainingforemergencyresponders
Support is available.