ROANOKE, Va. – Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is not uncommon in law enforcement, according to a former police officer, Dr. Tod Burke, who worked in several departments in Maryland.
He said dealing with the daily pressures of the job and with the insurrection may cause some to have PTSD.
Four officers took their own lives following the insurrection last year, according to the U.S. Capitol Police Chief.
That department is short about 400 officers.
According to Burke, additional stressors can include fear and the danger of getting hurt while on the job, as well as working emergencies and crime scenes.
Burke said people with PTSD may relive the same event over and over in their heads.
“Having these flashbacks, which cause anxiety, there’s tension, depression, a lack of concentration when you have people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. And oftentimes there is survivor’s guilt, ‘why did I make through and my colleagues didn’t,’” explained Burke.
Burke encourages anyone experiencing survivor’s guilt or who may feel withdrawn from relationships to seek professional help.