Duty Related PTSD. Jennifer Zerwas Police Officer, Retired. Owner/Founder, 316: Behind The Badge

Transcription

1 Dty Related PTSD Jennifer Zerwas Police Officer, Retired Owner/Fonder, 316: Behind The Badge

2 Active Dty U.S. Air Force Secrity Police Law Enforcement Specialist, Police Officer, Lakes Area Police Department, A combined 19 years of service as a Police Officer 1 st Female hired in MN nder the Military Reciprocity Eligibility Rle. Minnesota Chiefs Of Police Association Life Saving Award 2015 A prod member of the largest active law enforcement family in the state of Minnesota

3 There are 127 years of Police Experience in these photos:

4 December 7 th, hors Call: Schizophrenic male ot of control Note: Graphic Images on the next slides.

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10 What is PTSD?

11 Diagnostic Criteria for PTSD A) Person was exposed to trama: death, threatened death, actal or threatened serios injry, actal or threatened sexal violence. 1. Direct exposre 2. Witness 3. Indirect exposre 4. Repeated or extreme indirect exposre to adverse details dring professional dties for example: first responders repeated exposre to details of sexal assalt (child or adlt)

12 B) Intrsive symptoms, the tramatic event is reexperienced in one or more of the following ways: 1. Recrrent, involntary and intrsive recollections 2. Tramatic nightmares 3. Flashbacks (dissociative reactions) 4. Intense or prolonged distress after tramatic reminders. 5. Marked physiological reactivity after exposre to trama- related stimli.

13 C) Persistent effortfl avoidance of distressing trama related stimli after the event. Efforts to avoid thoghts, feelings, or conversations associated with the trama. Efforts to avoid activities, places, or people that arose recollections of the trama.

14 D) Negative alteration in cognitions and mood that began or worsen after the tramatic event: Persistent negative beliefs and expectations abot oneself or the world. Persistent distorted blame of self or others for casing the tramatic event or for the reslting conseqences. Negative trama related emotions (fear, horror, anger, gilt, shame) Diminished interest in significant activities. Feeling alienated from others. Constricted affect: persistent inability to experience positive emotions.

15 E) Persistent symptoms of increased arosal and reactivity that began or worsened after the tramatic event: Irritable or aggressive behavior Self-destrctive or reckless behavior Hypervigilance Exaggerated startle response Problems in concentration Sleep distrbance F) Dration, mst have symptoms for more then one month G) Significant symptom related distress or fnctional impairment.

16 Trama responses can start immediately after the tramatic event or may not srface for months, even years after. Symptoms may also come and go over the years.

17 What is a tramatic event? Police Exposre Military Exposre Child physical Abse, Child Sexal Abse Serios Accidents Physical Attacks, Sexal Attacks Domestic abse, Witnessing Domestic Abse And contless other events.

18 Acte Stress Disorder vs. PTSD ASD has the same symptoms as PTSD: The difference is symptom dration wold be greater then 2 days bt less then one month. Symptoms that are occrring the first 2 days after an incident are an expected response to the trama and not defined as a disorder.

19 Officer/First Responder PTSD are typically the reslt of cmlative experiences. Every incident takes p space in the box yo stff things away in, in the back of yor brain. Eventally the box overflows. I was a champion of compartmentalizing or so I thoght. My box exploded like shrapnel, tearing throgh everything I thoght of myself. What then?

20 Symptoms: Insomnia No appetite Fear for my safety, the safety of others Mood swings Relationship problems Panic attacks Flashbacks Employment problems Feelings of shame, hopelessness Depression

21 Changes to the brains strctre and fnctionality Ø Redction in the size of the Hippocamps The hippocamps is the region of the brain responsible for memory. Redction in size hinders ability to differentiate between past and present as well as interpreting environmental contexts. Redction in the size of the Pre Frontal Cortex The region of the brain responsible for reglating emotions. Redction in size hinders ability to reglate negative emotions sch as fear, anxiety, and extreme stress response. Increased activity in the Amygdala The amygdala helps s process emotions and is linked to fear response. Hyperactivity of the amygdala directly effects severity of PTSD symptoms.

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24 What factors inflence how PTSD develops? Intensity of tramatic event. Length of event An emotion was attached to the event. How close were yo to the event. How strong yor reaction was. How mch yo felt in control of the event. How mch help and/or spport yo got after the event.

25 Officer Sicide : The #1 killer of Officers I considered sicide. I d be lying if I said it didn t cross my mind on several occasions. More Officers are killed by their own hand than by gnfire or ato accidents combined. Officers are 1.5 times more likely to commit sicide than the average person. Officers are 7 times more likely to kill themselves than to be killed by a sspect.

26 Officer sicide warning signs: Isolates self (this isn t normal for him/her) Exhibits poor job performance (not sal) Develops drg/alcohol addiction Lacks on personal hygiene/appearance (not sal) Personality changes: they are angry, irritable, have mood swings Talks abot death or sicide, even in casal conversation. Sdden change of mood, sddenly qite happy/content after being obviosly depressed.

27 Profile of Officers who commit sicide: Average age was 42 years old at time of sicide. Average time on the job was 15 years. Firearms sed in 91% of sicides. 83% of the time, personal problems were obvios before the sicide.

28 How Administrators Can Help The stigma srronding PTSD mst be broken, this starts at the top. Complete First Report of Injry Become advocates for yor Officers, especially with civilian decision makers who may not nderstand the difficlties of the job. Treat yor Officers with respect and dignity, avoid casing additional stress. Reassre the Officer regarding their career so the Officer can concentrate on therapy and the possible retrn to dty. Edcation/training for both new and seasoned officers. How PTSD manifests How to recognize PTSD in oneself and others Where/how to get help

29 It is EVERYONE S responsibility to recognize signs/symptoms in one another. In the Law Enforcement/Corrections commnity we openly talk abot officer safety, yet we refse to talk abot or own mental health. Changing a cltre that is pridefl and honorable in their traditions and service is not going to be easy, bt this isse is costing Officer s lives. Or brothers and sisters are dying and we can prevent many of these sicides by making it acceptable to seek help. - Mark Bond, 29 year LE veteran, professor of Criminal Jstice at American Military University

30 Please seek help: First Report of Injry! Conseling A therapist can help yo nderstand and change how yo think abot the event(s). They will help yo recognize negative thoghts and help yo replace them with more accrate, less distressing thoghts. They will help yo deal with flashbacks, night terrors, insomnia, etc. They will help yo figre ot how to cope with the anger, gilt, shame, fear, sense of loss, confsion, etc.

31 Pharmacology/Medication: Yes! Medication! Stop the stigma that srronds the se of medication. PTSD changes yor brain chemistry/strctre. Medications like SSRI s and SNRI s can assist in reglating yor brain chemistry. Taking an SSRI or SNRI DOES NOT negatively impact yor ability to work! Benzodiazepines can help with severe anxiety. This type of medication may affect yor ability to work, that is p to yor doctor. They can be sed freely while OFF DUTY.

32 Officer only Grop Therapy There are two Officer only grop therapy options in the twin cities metro area. Yo can talk to other Officers who are going throgh or have gone throgh the same thing yo are. These grops help yo realize yo re not alone. Yo can bild relationships with other Officers who nderstand exactly what yo re dealing with. Peer to peer spport is invalable.

33 Non Traditional therapies: Yoga Exercise Walking Meditation Headspace

34 Please nderstand: PTSD does NOT have to be a career ender! Early intervention, the willingness to get help and advocating for yorself will help yo get back to work sccessflly.

35 Resorces Dr. Michael Keller, Psychologist, Retired Officer St. Pal and Cambridge locations Phone: Beth Jordan, Retired Officer, Officer only PTSD grop, Maple Grove Steve Wickelgren, Retired Officer, Officer only PTSD grop, Minneapolis Phone: Lee Folstad, Retired Officer, Marriage and Family Therapy. Specializing in PTSD and Trama, Hdson WI Phone: Peggy Hepp, Marriage and Family Therapy, Law Enforcement experience. Woodbry, MN Phone:

36 One final piece of advice

37 Contact information: Jennifer Zerwas Owner/Fonder: 316: Behind The Badge Cell: