Why PTSD Advocacy?

Today at 2:30 AM Trooper 1st Class, Shaft Hunter, was killed in the line of duty.  My husband is retired from being a State Trooper and I'm thankful every day he is not a cop any more.  Even though he isn't in that line of work any more he carries scars.  Days like today, reminders of his previous career, have a tendency to bring flash backs, nightmares, depression and sometimes panic attacks.

When someone thinks of PTSD they more then likely think of Vietnam or a solider who fought over seas during "The War on Terror."  I've had family members tell me that my husband needs to just "get over" PTSD and move on.  If it were only that easy.  Oh how I have wished that he could take some kind of treatment or medicine to "get over" PTSD, like when we do when we have a cold or infection.  

My husband fought PTSD for years in silence, without the knowledge of what his demon was.  His scars are ingrained in his mind, not in his skin.  

Police officers are three times more likely to die by their own hand then by a criminal's.  On average, 130-150 police officers commit suicide every year.  Those statistics are not something you think about when you consider the life of a police officer is it?  What is this "PTSD" that takes lives?  By experiencing a traumatic event it has the capability to change the biology of the brain, just like cancer changes the cells in a body.  So you see, its not something to just "get over."

So why am I passionate about PTSD advocacy?  Officers are not allowed to grieve.  They are trained and expected to be human robots if you will.  They are expected to be humans but are expected to not feel.  If they feel then they are "weak."  With all due respect why is it that soldiers are more free to have PTSD but not police officers?   I just spoke with a psychologist who treats police officers with PTSD and she said a problem is that most soldiers experience trauma for a short amount of time while police officers experience trauma for the length of of his/her career, so 20+ years.

I look forward to meeting and standing up with others who agree that a police officer who experiences PTSD is NOT WEAK, it's human for goodness sake!  God created us therefore He created emotions.  How can a person deal with all the negatives of society his whole career and not feel something negative and/or traumatic at some point?  This is stress and our minds were not created for this capacity of stress!  Back to the part of saying someone is not weak who experiences PTSD.  I would dare say and challenge ANYONE that my husband is more of a hero and man than anyone who lives in silence, pain, depression and being haunted because he is too ashamed of getting help for his PTSD.  I want to spend my time advocating for these individuals.  I want to change the tides, there is no condemnation for seeking help.  The stigma of PTSD and officers HAS TO STOP!  If we can help 1 person and 1 family then it's worth the time and effort.   

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