Page 32 - June2020 FOP Magazine

Mental Health and Wellness Support
A resource guide for Chicago Lodge 7 members
A message from EAP
Professional Counseling Division CPD Employee Assistance Program
312-743-0378
Widely trained clinicians and addiction counselors available 24/7/365
Peer Support Team
312-743-0378
The peer support team includes 300 officers who have taken a 40-hour training
Call for help
Permission granted to escape from the pandemic stress
Each month, the Professional Counseling Division of the Department’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides a message to promote better mental health for Chicago Police Officers. This month, Dr. Robert Sobo, director of the Professional Counseling Divi- sion, relates some thoughts to help officers manage the stress caused by the extreme circumstances of battling the pandemic.
The best course of action Chicago Police Officers can take right now is to give themselves permission to accept that the stress and anxiety have reached unprecedented levels. Do not minimize the fact that the stress of the job on a good day is at
an all-time high. And that any call can, and fre- quently does, become anything or everything. And it gets very complicated. Plus, you are still struggling with the fear of getting the virus and
bringing it home, not to mention all the issues the pandemic continues to bring.
Of course, permission can be made easier by being healthy. If you’re healthy, you have talked to your family doctor and you know about whatever precautions need to be taken. Then, the healthiest thing you can do is to be with your family. Interact. Spend quality time together. That is what keeps stress and fear levels down for children, for spouses and for officers themselves.
Creating intimacy with your children and loved ones helps you escape from the anxiety by creating joy and happiness. It’s relaxing, comforting. Amid these extreme circumstances, you need to find any way available to destress.
You’ve heard it here before, but it’s never been more import- ant to find ways to experience even the smallest moments of joy and anxiety. Physical activity is another great vehicle. Take a bike ride. Go for a walk. Or have movie night or game night at home. If you have been doing these things, you know how it helps alleviate the stress and anxiety.
And, of course, don’t minimize the impact of talking. Talk about things away from the job. Let your family members talk about what’s on their minds. It’s a good time to talk about base- ball, because talking about a shared interest is a great way to escape by making you feel closer to that person.
Chicago Police Officers would actually do well to strive for a simpler time. Get off social media. That will decrease anxiety. You don’t need a blow-by-blow, minute-by-minute account of what’s going on with the pandemic.
Don’t forget to maintain healthy eating and good exercise habits. Some of the breathing techniques you learned when at- tending the Department’s Stress Management seminar can be even more impactful during these extreme circumstances.
And take the opportunity to talk to a peer support member or clinician in the Professional Counseling Unit. Rid yourself of the stress and anxiety by talking about it, by communicating.
That is a much better alternative than to have it fester in your own mind, being alone and being isolated with it. It does com- pound. And sometimes in your mind, that can turn into isola- tion.
During these times, you have to work harder to maintain good, healthy communication and connectedness. You have to be conscious of it. Even if you can only find 10 to 15 minutes a day to talk to another officer, that’s enough to make sure you are not feeling isolated.
The power of healthy communication inspired a recent for- ay for Professional Counseling alongside doctors from Rush University Medical Center, who volunteered to visit some roll calls. The objective was to give police officers an opportunity to talk about their concerns and clear up any confusion about the coronavirus from a medical standpoint and a behavioral health standpoint. And it helped to get direct information rather than reading about it or hearing about it on the news or through a third party.
But it also proved to be a soothing situation to address ru- mors and misinformation. In times of extreme circumstances, those are the things that exacerbate anxiety. These are the types of efforts that ease fears and give officers permission to stay connected.
And you need to give yourself permission, because achieving wellbeing under stressful circumstances takes a lot of conscious and active work. The rewards, however, can be great in that they provide a sense of wellbeing, safety and even joy when accom- plished. That can be done through working on relationships, maintaining a sense of connectedness with friends, family and loved ones and also maintaining healthy habits and behaviors that combat the sense of loneliness, isolation and stress that are sometimes built into the message of how to stay safe. Staying safe should not be confused with staying healthy. They really can be done together.
Make sure you are aware of this now more than ever because of the extreme circumstances.
36 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JUNE 2020