# Do you have a life outside law enforcement



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*Do you have a life outside law enforcement &#8230; really?

*
You've all heard it said that "Police work isn't a job, it's a lifestyle." Even in the Street Survival seminar we talk about spending a considerable amount of your off-duty time in Condition Yellow, and we strongly advocate carrying an off-duty weapon. If you're a cop, let's face it, you tend to view yourself as a cop 24/7/365, and frankly, a lot of us do so with pride. However, even Bruce Wayne took off the Batman cape once in awhile and had Alfred bring him a drink and a nice dinner. But when you hang up the uniform and gun belt for the day, do you find yourself curling up with the new issues of Law Officer and Police magazines, surfing the Internet to check all the cop-related Web sites and blogs, playing the newest version of Police Quest on your X-Box or watching a "COPS" marathon or a rerun of "The Shield" on TV? In other words, even when you're off duty, are you surrounding yourself with a little too much police-related information and entertainment? How are you spending what little free time you have? 
There's no question about it, police work doesn't exactly lend itself to an overabundance of spare time. Between call outs, overtime details, court days, shift holdovers, extra-duty jobs and the myriad other duty-related things that we end up having to do before and after work, it's no wonder so many of us fall victim to what Dr. Kevin Gilmartin (www.emotionalsurvival.com) calls the "I Usta Syndrome." The "I usta" response is given by so many of us when we're asked about our hobbies and activities outside of the job. "I usta" go fishing, "I usta" coach my kid's soccer team, "I usta" go to church, "I usta" be a runner, "I usta" be into photography &#8230; the list goes on and on. With our odd days off, weird shift times and the long-term effects of hypervigilance (what Gilmartin calls the Hypervigilance Biological Rollercoaster®) it's no wonder that we start to lose interest in the hobbies and activities that once brought us so much joy and relaxation. In law enforcement, we are totally immersed in a culture that, if we're not careful, becomes all-consuming, and we can find ourselves struggling to maintain even a modicum of balance. In fact, sometimes the harder we try to be the best, most informed, most enthusiastic cop we can be, the more we risk losing sight of the nonpolice support systems that help us maintain that great attitude on the job. In the extreme, some cops lose interest not just in pleasurable activities, but in their friends, their families and eventually their own self-worth. If _that_ happens, it's time to seek professional help, now. 
But let's just say you're like the majority of us who have "allowed" the job to dominate or eliminate your free time. Here are a few suggestions to get back on track:

Full Article: http://www.policeone.com/writers/columnists/BetsySmith/articles/1666423/


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## cmagryan (Dec 15, 2004)

*Do you have a life outside law enforcement &#8230; really?*

But when you hang up the uniform and gun belt for the day, do you find yourself curling up with the new issues of Law Officer and Police magazines, surfing the Internet to check all the *cop-related Web sites* and blogs,

- _uhhh_....... Gil's fault!! ;-)


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## 94c (Oct 21, 2005)

The Cop Pajamas were a Christmas gift from the kids.

Alright?


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## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

YES! YES ! YES!

I surf gun-porn sites about 3-4 times as often as Masscops! And I read Men's Journal. So don't tell me I'm addicted to Masscops and other L.E. "things" off-duty


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## Guest (Mar 2, 2008)

They have Police Quest for xbox? Sweet! I thought it was only for PC...

edit: I have no life.


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## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

94c said:


> The Cop Pajamas were a Christmas gift from the kids.
> 
> Alright?


LOL Ditto!!!

And just because my 3rd sixth edition 2007 of MGL books have yellow highlights doesn't always mean I was reading them off duty, I sometimes read them on duty too!!!


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## Belker (Jul 22, 2006)

It's not what we do. It's who we are.


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## Fowlplay (Mar 1, 2008)

Belker said:


> It's not what we do. It's who we are.


That's why too many of us die when we leave the job. With 6 years left till I retire, I've been thinking about the life to come. I need to start now, cause I'll only be 46.


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## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

cool Ill be 71 when I die with our retirement!!! 12 years longer then I thought!!!!


PS that average age for a PO is 59 if your a lazy PO its 63. If you are a PO that belongs to Masscops and are disgruntled about other PO's, Departments, Sheriffs, Details, Jurisdiction, Politics it's 55yrs


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## 94c (Oct 21, 2005)

Irish Wampanoag said:


> PS that average age for a PO is 59 if your a lazy PO its 63. If you are a PO that belongs to Masscops and are disgruntled about other PO's, Departments, Sheriffs, Details, Jurisdiction, Politics it's 55yrs


Note to self:

Self, get the estate in order...


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## Mitpo62 (Jan 13, 2004)

With five children and two grandchildren I go to work just to get a break.


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## USMCTrooper (Oct 23, 2003)

Try playing Grand Theft Auto so YOU can steal cars, drive reckless, shoot people and get chased. Great way to explore your alter ego!!!


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## female p.o. (Sep 29, 2002)

I love my job but it is secondary to my family!


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## kttref (Oct 5, 2004)

Maybe that's why I go to school...to get away from cop life....probably not. Who knows. My life now is work and school work. So obnoxious.


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## Guest (Mar 7, 2008)

kttref said:


> Maybe that's why I go to school...to get away from cop life....probably not. Who knows. My life now is work and school work. So obnoxious.


School will end long before your police career does.


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## kttref (Oct 5, 2004)

Agreed...but right now, this is my life.


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## Guest (Mar 7, 2008)

kttref said:


> Maybe that's why I go to school...to get away from cop life....probably not. Who knows. My life now is work and school work. So obnoxious.


Yeah, but if it's for CJ, that doesn't count as a life outside of LE.


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## redpara (Jun 7, 2004)

There are cop related web-sites?


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## kttref (Oct 5, 2004)

5-0 said:


> Yeah, but if it's for CJ, that doesn't count as a life outside of LE.


Justice Administration...shit. I suck


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## jdmac33 (Feb 1, 2008)

lets face it, police dont make a hell of a lot of money, so when a police officer works over time, details, and his normal shift, he or she does not have much time to do anything elts. its kinda a way of life.


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