Depression in Law Enforcement?

By WicBury Crapper Board Member "CornLogsRule"...

It is no secret that over 1/4 of police officers are taking some type of anti-depressant or have taken some type of anti depressant in the past. In fact, the person who seems very out going or happy-go-lucky may in fact be dosing themselves four times a day.

There are several factors for this issue... mostly stress related.

• Roting Shifts - Rotating shifts can cause a major instability in brain chemicals such as serotonin. Serotonin as been highly linked with "thinking straight" and depression. A lack of serotonin can cause serious problems.


• PTSD - Although we all are "macho" guys and gals, we do see a lot of stuff that happens daily. A lot of this negative observation is absorbed or laughed off.


• Reassignment/Demotion/Administrative Action - Can cause major depression in many police officers.


• Increased Workload - A high stress workload, day after day after day, can frustrate people that get upset when they are up to their ears in paperwork which doesn't seem to get any better.


• Advancement/Toys for others - When officers see specific officers get toys, goodies, and Bennie's, again and again and again but they are working just as hard, can breed depression.


• Backstabbing - A high level of anxiety can be linked to co-worker crap talking. What's funny is the people that talk the most crap, feel the worst about themselves as a person and are much more prone to depression and suicide. Some people are threatened by people who produce more, are younger, or are suck ups.


• SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder can effect a multitude of people. When it is gray and rainy out day after day, people tend to feel sad. Many times, a lack of vitamin "D", which is absorbed through sunlight, is the culprit. Tanning helps elevate this issue sometimes.

Additionally, some people suffer from forms of paranoia. Paranoia isn't just thinking that people are out to kill you like zombies wondering around. Lower forms of paranoia manifest themselves as thinking that people are constantly talking about them negatively or plotting against them constantly. Many people that suffer from this lower form of paranoia also suffer from social anxiety disorder where they feel very uncomfortable in social settings with people.

These really aren't symptoms of a true mental illness however they typically do indicate a brain chemical imbalance, typically a lack of serotonin which is an important neurotransmitter that "greases" the brain wheels. Many people take a neuro reuptake inhibitor like Zoloft or other. This acts on the neurons of the brain and prevents them from sucking up too much of the serotonin, making more available in the brain, and thus improving the well being of the patient.

Some people suffering from these symtoms can't see the forest through the trees, meaning they can't rationally observe that people are in fact not out to do them in. Some people can not escape the box without balancing their serotonin levels.