Law enforcement officers experience incidents in their career that cause stress. Although stress being a common thing in human life, the level of stress among the police is higher due to the nature of their work. When people are faced with traumatizing experiences, they react differently. Adjusting to stress is not a simple thing particularly when the situations that you experience on a daily basis are stressful. The two outcomes of stress among the police are mental exhaustion and emotional anguish.
Emotional anguish will result from regular incidents that lead to fear, anger, anxiety, guilt, feelings of helplessness and depression (Cross and Ashley, 2004). On the other hand, mental exhaustion results from intrusive thoughts, fatigue, `sleeplessness, and working for long hours (Chopko and Schwartz, 2009). Police react differently to the outcomes of stress or after the effects of stress. Substance abuse and suicidal ideation are the two main responses that police officers give to the incidents of stress. According to research conducted in Australia among the police officers, it was found that about 50% of male and 40% of female officers were drug addicts (Cross and Ashley, 2004).
Police officers use and abuse drug when trying to numb the pain and pressure in their working environment. Domestic violence, irritability, anger, and withdrawal. The incidents of substance use and drug use have been high among police officers. Some law administrators fail to discharge their duties effectively due to drug addiction. Unbearable stress conditions lead to suicidal ideation where police officers shoot themselves (Violanti, 2004). Most of the police officers who commit suicide are heavy drug addicts.
- Chopko, B., & Schwartz, R. (2009). The relation between mindfulness and posttraumatic growth: A study of first responders to trauma-inducing incidents. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 31(4), 363-376.
- Cross, C. L., & Ashley, L. (2004). Police trauma and addiction: Coping with the dangers of the job. FBI L. Enforcement Bull., 73, 24.
- Regehr, C., LeBlanc, V., Jelley, R. B., & Barath, I. (2008). Acute stress and performance in police recruits. Stress and Health, 24(4), 295-303.
- Violanti, J. M. (2004). Predictors of police suicide ideation. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 34(3), 277-283.