Page 33 - June2020 FOP Magazine

Mental Health Spotlight
Stress Management Messages
Local mental health experts share some thoughts about how Chicago Police Officers can address the stress resulting from these extreme circumstances
‘If you are severely struggling’
If you are struggling and feeling stressed beyond what you can handle, here are some tips to help you cope:
• Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and you need both in order to survive this job.
• Don’t hesitate to use a couple of days of med- ical or personal time to destress. I believe that departments should incorporate mental health days.
• When you go on furlough, make it count, espe- cially if you are overstressed. Don’t spend every day working that extra job or going through a to-do list to get the house in order. While money and home improvement are important, your emotional well-being outweighs both.
• If you are severely struggling and feeling that you’re moving toward a mental breakdown, you have the right to go on an extended medical leave of absence. This is very important: Before you make that decision, please reach out to a mental health provider who is an authentic police and public safety psychologist — someone who truly understands the medical section’s policies and procedures regarding a mental health leave and the potential of being stripped and having to un- dergo a fit-for-duty evaluation. It is important to know all of your options and alternatives prior to making any decisions.
• Please make sure that your family members understand procedures and rules as well. Provide them with names and numbers of qualified clinicians who could assist in navigat- ing a destressed officer or loved one. This includes under- standing that there are people, places and resources to assist in a crisis in a way that will secure your FOID card while giv- ing you the help you need.
Robin Kroll, Psy.D, is the owner of BRAVE Police and Public Safe- ty Wellness Center. To contact the BRAVE Police and Public Safety Wellness Center, call 847-778-9322.
DR. ROBIN KROLL
‘If you think you need to go to therapy, go’
All police officers can be independent and han- dle the difficult situations of others on their own. However, it is normal for officers to also need some help with their own experience. Seeing a therapist makes you stronger and more resilient — not weaker.
I often tell officers that if you think you need to go to therapy, go. Problems are much easier to solve when small. If you wait until you have a ma- jor problem, now it will be more difficult to solve,
and sometimes negative consequences have already occurred, such as a failed marriage or a DUI.
Here are eight reasons to go to therapy:
1. You are not sleeping well despite trying.
2. You are overwhelmed and can’t find a solution on your
own.
3. You feel tired, even when you get a good night’s rest.
4. You are anxious and ruminate on your stressors.
5. You feel inappropriate anger or resentment toward others.
6. You are burned out on the job.
7. You are not enjoying activities you once did.
8. You are not socializing or wanting to socialize.
If you are struggling, there are several teachable coping strat- egies in therapy that can help. Therapists can help see your problems in a new way, help you problem-solve, show you how to be efficient and teach relaxation skills.
Problems are easier to solve when small. If you have already waited and this is a big problem, reach out now before it be- comes bigger.
Carrie Steiner is a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of the First Responders Wellness Center. Contact Dr. Steiner at 630- 909-9094 or dr.carriesteiner@gmail.com.
DR. CARRIE STEINER
Nobody could have foreseen the anxieties of having to take your temperature every time you come in to work. Masking up before hitting the streets is more than just a daily task; it’s an ev- er-present reminder of the unprecedented pressures Chicago Po- lice Officers now face every day on top of the normal concerns.
Luckily, tactical mindfulness and breathing strategies can help manage the additional stressors that now feel like they’re a part of the job. Even while on the front lines, stress doesn’t have to feel consuming.
Dr. Ashley Kuhl Piwowarski, the executive director of outpa- tient services at Hartgrove Behavioral Health System, says an overall mindset shift of practicing acceptance toward the stress- ors helps foster feelings of control for officers.
“It all relates to how we’re thinking about the situation we’re in right now,” Piwowarski says. “We’re faced with something that seems almost unfathomable at this time. When we accept that, we can move to a place of action and control. What are the things
that you can do in your day-to-day workflow, your life and your family that can help minimize your risks and anxieties?”
Practicing one strategy at a time — focusing on being present, breathing and mindfulness — builds resilience to fight through the strain of the daily work, Piwowarski says.
Daisy Gomez, the educational clinical services coordinator at Hartgrove, affirms that when it comes to managing stress effec- tively, reminding yourself that you’re safe in the present moment creates a feeling of security.
“We want to focus on decompressing from this event,” Go- mez says. “That can come from taking the couple of seconds to practice breathing exercises. They need to know they’re resilient enough to move forward.”
So now, when masks are going on throughout Chicagoland, the work doesn’t have to feel paralyzing. Knowing how to manage new pressures brings an unprecedented empowerment that the front lines fearlessly carry.
‘Minimize risks and anxieties’
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