# Helping one of our own



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*The 3-tiered approach*

By Mike Wasilewski & Althea Olson, LCSW

Joe is a 15-year veteran patrol officer. Well-respected and well-liked, he's been married to the love of his life for the past 12 years and they have three well-adjusted children. From the outside in, Joe's life seemed perfect. However, a series of events occurred over a span of four months that devastated his world. His brother died at the age of 45 from an unexpected stroke, he was first on the scene where a close friend and coworker was killed in a gory DUI accident, and his 7-year-old daughter was molested by the 14-year-old neighbor boy whom his wife allowed into their home to play with their 11-year-old son. 
At first Joe appeared to be coping reasonably well with these traumatic events. Everyone missed the slow progression of behavior changes. It was natural for Joe to be reserved and withdrawn. He was no longer making jokes in roll call nor laughing at anyone else's. He stopped meeting with fellow officers for mid-shift coffee breaks. When shift was over, he stopped lingering in the locker room to chat. When he did talk, his optimism was replaced with anger and cynicism. He used to treat the public, even those he arrested, with respect. Now his attitude and words showed contempt. An unusual amount of complaints were coming in about him from the public. When Joe was approached, he became defensive stating "they are all a bunch of idiots." His words were also oddly disrespectful towards his wife, a person no one had ever heard him speak of before without admiration. Co-workers began hearing Joe call her lazy and stupid.

Full Article: http://www.policeone.com/health-fitness/articles/1636465/


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