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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
Anxiety and depression happen, but you can manage it
Each month, the Professional Counseling Division of the Department’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides a message to promote better mental health for officers. This month, Dr. Robert Sobo, director of the Professional Counseling Division, discusses how the job can cause anxiety and lead to depression and what Chicago Police Officers can do about it.
No officer would argue that more and more stress from the job builds on a daily basis. The pressure to always make perfect deci- sions in a split second on any call that could escalate into anything imaginable is excruciating, to say the least.
But you don’t need to worry if that causes anx- iety or leaves you feeling depressed. Do not ever forget that it is courageous, brave and respon- sible to process the emotional consequences of
this most difficult but noble profession. And if you do that, you are fulfilling your responsibility to attain and maintain your mental health and wellness.
The triggers of anxiety and depression continue to come from changes Chicago Police Officers never anticipated. Body cameras, for one, seem to be piling on the stress. Whether your feelings are about body cameras are good, bad or both, there’s no doubt that they make life difficult because you feel like you’re always under a microscope. And to feel like somebody could be potentially watch- ing your every move on the job is very stressful.
Additionally, members don’t need to be reminded how the news media can be biased, taking information out of context in report- ing about the police. Professional Counseling finds that when po- lice officers are involved in a traumatic incident and go through debriefing, one of their greatest stressors is how the news media is going to present them. Are they going to demonize them, vilify them or make them the enemy, which has a tremendous impact on their well-being?
It causes fear, anxiety and worry, and the fact that it is weighing heavily on the minds of officers after a traumatic incident means that other emotional consequences can be delayed. That leads to the development of traumatic symptoms like anxiety and depres- sion.
So then, you are going about your daily routine with this run- ning through your mind. The anxiety trigger becomes the fear of it occurring when you go to any call. That is what the Chicago FOP is saying about causing stress for officers who are feeling hesitant.
Officers who find themselves in such a situation might be feeling both anxiety and depression. You are anxious about certain aspects of what might happen following a traumatic incident, especially if you are under any sort of investigation. And depending how the incident and the investigation are handled, that can cause depres- sion.
You can tell depression might be setting in by a loss of interest in things that used to bring joy, happiness and some sort of gratifica-
tion. You experience a change in sleep, appetite and self-care. You have difficulties in relationships, personal as well as professional. And, of course, there are changes in thoughts and behaviors.
It is assumed that, at one time or another, 40 percent of all law enforcement suffer from depression. So, as it develops, how do you cope? Have officers learned to identify their emotions and deal with them in healthy ways? Or do they suppress them, which leads to acting out?
The healthy way to deal with anxiety and depression is to make the environment, both professionally and at home, safe and trust- ing. In any good relationship, in order to thrive and grow there has to be a sense of safety and trust. You have to have people who let you know, “I’m here for you. I will listen to you and do whatever it takes to help you be well.”
That’s what you do for your children. You create an environment of trust. And any time a child is having difficulty, he or she can talk to you about anything and everything and know they will be heard.
Supervisors have to create that environment. And officers have to help one another by creating an environment of trust, talking and listening that is safe and courageous. It should be expected as an important health aspect of the job.
The Professional Counseling Division knows that this is happen- ing because the utilization of mental health services in the Chicago Police Department is significantly higher every year. The requests for services by officers and their family members is evidence of that. And supervisors appear to be availing themselves much more and are frequently talking to their officers to make sure they get the help they need.
Members are really starting to get it. The ability to address anxi- ety and depression is also on the rise. There’s a lot more work to do, but there’s no doubt great strides are being made in making mental health a priority for department members and their families.
It’s a team approach and everybody is willing to work together to learn how to be responsible for all officers’ mental health, how to address it and what to do about it.
It’s reframing how we look at mental health and well-being and taking away the stigma. And that leads to the best way to manage anxiety and depression. Officers hear it every day: When you walk out the door to start your shift, make sure you check your equip- ment to stay safe on the streets. Check your mental health and well- being at the same time, because that is a big part of staying safe as well.
40 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ MARCH 2020