After several traumatic incidents involving police officers, which include killing loved ones before killing themselves, a discussion was held on the programme KykNET Verslag.
Despite the much-needed forum it provided in which key players had a chance to discuss a very pertinent issue – the mental stability of overstretched police human resources – no-one among the key support people equipped to intervene in traumas experienced by police members and their aftermath was included in the discussion. This is unfortunate because such people are out there.
The reality is, our members are probably dealing with, observing, hearing and handling traumatic incidents on a daily basis while on duty. It seems incidents of family shootings and suicides among police members, as a result, are escalating.
Dealing with stark trauma over long periods often leads to conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can affect every aspect of people’s personal lives. In order to intervene in such situations these are the key elements to look out for:. Stability of interpersonal relationships (at work or home). The mental state of police staff who encounter traumatic cases daily, particularly signs of depression and anxiety, which form part of PTSD. High levels of work-related stress. Work overload. Past traumas that have not been properly or completely addressed, if at all, whether work-related and/or otherwise. Being ill-equipped to deal with stresses when they occur.
Importantly, there are chaplains, social workers and psychologists available to South African Police Service officers. Through the service’s medical aid they can access psychological assessment and support and prevent suicidal behaviour, which often also involves murdering loved ones. Police officers (or their loved ones) can visit a psychologist. They can also perform a group psychological debriefing and be on hand to determine whether more follow-up support is needed.
I was wondering if psychologists can, for example, every six months or so conduct a general mental health assessment, using questionnaires, to screen police officers for such conditions PTSD and related conditions. And then they can start inviting them to sessions of preventative psychological support.
A traumatic incident or accident normally causes high levels of shock, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, tension, sleeplessness, depression, anger, avoidance, as examples. For a long time psychologists and counsellors tended to treat trauma and its effects one-dimensionally, on a cognitive level, excluding the subconscious and physical (body) dimensions. Consequently, symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder after treatment and physical symptoms, such as muscle spasms, neck and lower-back pain, and so on, were ongoing.
At present there is a focus on a holistic approach in dealing with and treating patients with trauma on a conscious, subconscious and body (physical) level. We want to introduce and apply this holistic approach on the West Coast. The three-pronged holistic approach is:. On a conscious level we use psychological debriefing and/or cognitive therapies, such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) or Rational Emotive Therapies (RET), to deal with thoughts, emotions and experiences on a sensory level, rooted more in the frontal brain. This must occur soon after the trauma to prevent unfinished business.. On a subconscious level, traumatic experiences are overwhelming for the brain, and their effects are lasting – for example, after a disaster or a violent relationship the patient will store unfinished business in the subconscious mind. This can be triggered in the here and now, leading to general anxiety disorder, panic attacks, sleeplessness and other symptoms associated with PTSD. We now use psychological interventions as Brain Working Recursive Therapy (BWRT) to delete or completely clean-up the unfinished business – with amazing results.. On a physical (body) level, patients store trauma in their bodies, whether it be a long-term body trauma sustained in sport, at work or in an accident, or after a pregnancy or childbirth. It is normal for a person to respond through flight or fight, or (if these are not possible) a freeze response – storing the trauma in their body.
They afterwards react with anxiety, stress, tension, sleeplessness, experiencing back and neck pain, to mention a few symptoms. New research and current practice treat these with Tension (stress, anxiety) Releasing Exercises (TRE). These are outcomes of multi-professional approaches, involving psychiatrists, neurologists, psychologists and clinical social workers.
To relieve or tremor-out the stored trauma, patients sleep better, use less medication for anxiety and tension, and reduced stress, smoking and drinking of alcohol are reported.
The advantage of holistic approaches leads to total relief of tension and anxiety, a decline in chemical (mis)use and improved sleep.
After all, police officers take care of our safety, so we need to care of their mental health and happiness.
* Van Dyk, a clinical psychologist and Level 2 Practitioner in Brain Working Recursive Therapy (BWRT) and Tension Releasing Exercises (TRE), can be contacted on 022 714 1101 or at gvdyk@mylan.co.za.
