CopShock, Surviving Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

When I wrote my book, CopShock, Surviving Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, I did not intend to write a book about police suicide. But it has turned out to be exactly that - a book about how PTSD can lead to suicidal thoughts, attempts and the actual completion of suicide.

In researching CopShock, I spent six years reading studies and investigating subjects as diverse as alcoholism, drug use, eating disorders, depression, assault, shootings, domestic abuse, support groups, grief and bereavement, retirement, divorce, peer support, religion, stress management and, of course, suicide.

Of all the subjects I researched, I found police suicide to be the most difficult to get a handle on. There are few reliable statistics. What figures there are go up and down for the same year depending on whom you talk to and what studies you read. In addition, the police culture has produced many myths about suicide.

Is police suicide an epidemic?
Is police suicide an epidemic, as I often hear? I don't know. Suicide among law enforcement affects many people within a community, which satisfies the definition of epidemic. But what number or percentage fulfills that meaning? I think the word "epidemic" is used far too often and too loosely for us to label police suicide as an epidemic.

Do more police kill themselves than are killed on-the-job?
More police officers today commit suicide than are killed by criminals. This is true. We can't ignore it, but I don't think it helps us understand why police officers kill themselves. I don't think the numbers are as meaningful as the fact that rescuers in our society, people who are trained to help others who are suicidal, do not apply their training to themselves.

Is police suicide greater than the national average?
I've read that the suicide rate in Chicago is five times the national average while in Los Angeles the suicide rate is below the national average. How can you determine a national average for police suicide when the statistics are so broad from city to city and from small town to small town?

In 1997, (according to the Census Bureau), the general population experienced 20.2 suicides per 100,000 people. For the same year, according to the same source, the suicide rate for police officers was 18.1. In other words, 127 officers took their own lives that year. So, it appears that the suicide rate for police officers is below the national average - at least for 1997.

But let's muddy the waters a little. In San Francisco, over a ten-year period, from 1987 to 1997, the general population's suicide rate was 21 per 100,000. For police officers, the rate was 33.3 per 100,000. Groups that track police suicides estimate that a police officer kills himself or herself every 24 to 52 hours.

What statistics do not show
Statistics do not show the number of retired officers who kill themselves. Statistics do not show the suicides that are covered up by fellow officers or departments in order to validate the deceased's insurance or to avoid embarrassment.

Statistics do not show that officers who take their lives as a result of personal stress and/or trauma on-the-job are often forgotten. Unlike the wall of names in Washington of officers killed in-the-line-of-duty, there is no memorial honoring officers who kill themselves. There is no national place for grieving.

Taking into account the hidden suicides, what is the real suicide rate? I would estimate that police officers kill themselves at least twice as often as the national average. I can't prove it, nor can anybody else right now. But I think a figure of twice the national average is a conservative estimate.

Suicides are preventable deaths
Statistics can make you crazy. You can bend them in any direction you wish. Statistics can also demean the human side of the tragedy of suicide. The tragedy is that these are preventable deaths. With knowledge, police families and fellow officers can help prevent suicides.

Are suicidal thoughts or actions symptoms of PTSD?
Suicidal thoughts or actions are not symptoms of PTSD. But there is a lot of evidence that PTSD causes suicidal thinking. Of the more than 100 officers I interviewed who were diagnosed with PTSD, most had either entertained suicidal thoughts or had attempted suicide. A police officer who I reported in my book did not consider suicide as an option was diagnosed with Panic Disorder; he did not meet the criteria for PTSD. Panic Disorder, however, is sometimes considered to be a precursor to PTSD.

Based on research, it appears that PTSD is a stimulus for suicide, that officers with PTSD often try to subdue PTSD symptoms by thinking about suicide, experimenting with suicide attempts and sometimes actually committing suicide. (For symptoms of PTSD, please see the Author Q & A).

Why does someone commit suicide?
Before we get to the danger signs and risk factors, I think we need to review the reasons why somebody commits suicide. The following information is from research compiled by a group called SOLOS, the acronym for "Survivors of Loved Ones' Suicides," an organization I describe at the end of this discussion.

We often think that a person kills himself or herself as a decision, a means of control, as a voluntary act. This person may have an emotional disorder, personality disorder or poor coping skills. But research challenges these notions, saying that suicide's goal is not so much to end life as to end pain and suffering.

There is no choice involved. The act is not so much a means of control as the result of severe stress and psychological pain. It is not really a voluntary action, but an involuntary response. The person is not a decision-maker, but a victim. And instead of having a disorder or poor coping skills, the person has a biochemical deficiency created or aggravated by pain. In other words, suicide occurs when the stress induces pain so unbearable that death is seen as the only relief.

In the context of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, this makes a lot of sense. The pain from PTSD symptoms are often so unbearable that the sufferer sees death as the only relief.

The SOLOS researchers summarize why people commit suicide by saying:

"The majority of suicides, about 80%, are the result of untreated depression or other mental illness. Many survivors mistake a 'triggering event' such as a relational breakup or personal failure as a 'cause'. Despite what survivors may read in a seemingly 'rational' and explicit suicide note, suicidal acts are desperate attempts to escape extreme and often enduring mental anguish, pain, and/or stress."

"This is more related to a person's ability to cope than a rational response to actual life events. Depression and other illnesses contribute to low self-esteem and undermine one's confidence and ability to accurately perceive and deal effectively with stresses that a healthy person takes in stride or adjusts to more quickly and successfully."

"Despite the fact that suicides often appear well-planned, the act itself is typically an impulsive one. He or she may not have known until the crisis hit that the moment to 'do-and-die' had arrived. Those serious about killing themselves often wait until an opportune time when they know they can succeed without being rescued. This is why people known to have 'a plan' are considered to be at highest risk."

Risk factors for suicide
So, what are some of the risk factors that suggest someone might commit suicide?

The risk factors include:

1. Thoughts of death.
2. Suicidal ideation or thoughts of suicide.
3. Conception of a suicide plan, which includes where it will take place and when.
4. Availability of lethal means-which is no problem for armed cops.
5. Presence of the warning signs of suicide.
6. A family history of suicide or suicidal behavior.
7. Presence of symptoms of an emotional disorder.
8. A history of drug or alcohol abuse.
9. A recent stressful life event or change, such as retirement, promotion or even an award.

Danger signs for potential suicide
The danger signs that someone has the potential for committing suicide are described in Chaplain Robert Douglas' book, "Death With No Valor."

The signs include:

1. Sudden loss of motivation.
2. Not concerned about physical fitness or physical appearance.
3. Isolation, withdrawal, doesn't talk much or confide in anyone.
4. Heavy drinking or drug taking.
5. More accident prone, especially with own car and service vehicles.
6. Reckless behavior.
7. Not sleeping, looks tired all the time.
8. Has told others about suicidal thoughts.
9. Frequent use of tranquilizers.
10. Mood swings, displays inappropriate emotions, gets angry at small things.
11. Unable to concentrate.
12. Frequent injuries.
13. Discipline problems at work, picks fights with superiors.
14. Becomes arrogant, aggressive, impulsive, violent.
15. Unable to deal with frustration.
16. Cries easily.
17. Nervous, may experience shaking or tremors.
18. Plays with gun, points it at self or others.
19. Delusional.
20. Suffers from high blood pressure.
21. Previous history of suicide attempts or family history of suicide.
22. Combines tranquilizers and alcohol.
23. Sudden desire to make last wishes known.
24. Preparing will and getting papers in order.

In addition to those symptoms, a suicidal person might start to give things away and, after a long period of depression, appear suddenly euphoric or happy.

Resources for LEO suicide
When I've been speaking at conferences about my research on police PTSD, the biggest complaint I hear from counselors and from family members of cops is that there are no support groups for survivors of police suicide. However, there are groups that provide resources and comfort to grieving families. Here are a few of them:

Tears Of A Cop
Tears Of A Cop's main function is to provide information on police officer suicide. It offers survivor support, a chat room and an email support list. The organization features an online memorial dedicated to officers who killed themselves.

The group also sells tee-shirts to raise funds for their activities that in the future will offer one-on-one support and a directory of workshops and seminars.

Their web site is www.tearsofacop.com. TOAC, P.O. Box 8858, Norfolk, VA 23503. Email: badge000@tearsofacop.com.

Survivors of Law Enforcement Suicide
Affiliated with Tears Of A Cop, is an organization called 'Survivors of Law Enforcement Suicide' or SOLES. This organization provides support and healing for the grieving survivors of officers who commit suicide. The survivors often feel abandoned by police departments and fellow officers. SOLES hopes to end that.

SOLES helped design the first memorial quilt with fabric and phrasing created by survivors. Both the first and second memorial quilts will be on display at the SPAN USA National Suicide Prevention Awareness event in Washington, DC, in May. You can view the quilts on the Tears Of A Cop web site.

You can reach SOLES, its founder Teresa Tate, and obtain its newsletter at: SOLES, 2708 SW 48th Terrace, Cape Coral, FL 33914; Email: ASKT8@aol.com.

Survivors of Loved Ones' Suicides
Similar in name to SOLES is SOLOS, the acronym for "Survivors of Loved Ones Suicides." It is a support group not only for police survivors, but also for all survivors of suicide. They provide online support, survival tips and information about memorial events.

On their web site, the organization offers a number of good brochures for downloading. They have titles such as "Suicide Risk," "The Rights of Suicidal Individuals," "About the Suicide Paradigm," "Straight Talk About Suicide Survivor Risk," "Suicide Survivor Rights," "Online Survivor Support," and others.

Recently, the group started an email support group specifically for professionals in the emergency response professions who deal with suicide and survivors and those who attempt suicide. The support group is called "SOLOS-ER."

SOLOS is online at www.solos.org. PO Box 592, Dumfries, VA 22026; Email: solos@1000deaths.com

National Police Suicide Foundation
Another important organization is the National Police Suicide Foundation. The group provides suicide awareness and prevention programs and support services. The executive director is Robert E. Douglas, Jr., a former police officer and senior chaplain for the International Conference of Police Chaplains.

He has written a number of helpful publications, such as "Hope Beyond The Badge, An Officer's Support Book," and "Death With No Valor." I especially like their small size because you can read them in an hour or so.

The group's web site is www.psf.org. You can contact them at: (410) 437-3343, 8424 Park Road, Pasadena, Maryland 21122.

Central Florida Police Stress Unit
You may also wish to have a look at the web site for the Central Florida Police Stress Unit. It offers insightful thoughts about suicide and tips for dealing with stress. The web site is: www.policestress.org. (407) 428-1800.

I hope this information on police suicide has been helpful. Stay safe.


Allen Kates

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