|
As a first responder, I'm sure that you can relate to the many diverse death calls I responded to as a mortician: suicides, SIDS, homicides (including those of children), multiple fatalities, plane crash and so on. You and I share much in common. We remember many of these calls today, years after they occurred.
The Grieving Behind the Badge newsletter and website have become platforms for many first responders and public safety officers to share their stories. Not only about the calls they remember, but also the difficulties they have had in coping with these calls, the lack of support from their departments in providing emotional support, bereavement education, and a positive work environment.
The Sweeney Alliance has listened to your many requests for specific programs addressing grief following a suicide death, or addiction intervention. Ladies, you have asked for a retreat for women only first responders. The plans are in the works. Many first responders have asked for personal assistance to help them, their family and their department in coping with grief when a tragedy occurs. Announcements are forthcoming.
Peggy Sweeney, Editor
830.377.7389
|
At a Loss for Words: When Some Dies by Suicide
Coping with grief following the death of a loved one is difficult. Taking one's own life is often viewed by some as morally wrong and unforgivable, and leaves those who grieve with many unanswered questions. Mortician, bereavement educator and former firefighter and EMT, Peggy Sweeney is personally familiar with grief following the suicide death of a much loved family member. Her workshop will provide general grief information, the steps to deal with personal trauma, and resources to heal from this tragic death. Suicide prevention and intervention will be discussed as well as recognizing the signs and symptoms of depression and addiction that may trigger the completion of suicide.
|
|
|
|
by a COP
Some people know this about me; others do not. I have killed a man. This is not a confession; it is just fact. I have nothing to hide about it. I am not ashamed of the fact. I have no regrets about doing it. I was doing my job. At the time of your death, I was a police officer. And, you tried your best to kill me. I am the police officer that killed you.
|
|
|
|
by Jim Hobby
The shots rang out,
what a terrifying sound.
It echo's over the radio,
an officer is down.
It was a routine call,
happens every day.
But this time was different,
the ultimate price was paid.
|
|
|
|
In many ways, this seems the most tragic form of death. Certainly it can entail more shock and grief for those who are left behind than any other. And often the stigma of suicide is what rests most heavily on those left behind.
Suicide is often judged to be essentially a selfish act. Perhaps it is. But the Bible warns us not to judge, if we ourselves hope to escape judgment. And I believe this is one area where that Biblical command especially should be heeded.
|
|
|
|
by Bob Rabe
PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a new name for an old story and there are many complexities to its definition. The name, recognizing a medical condition, was coined several years after the onset of the Vietnam War. Similar symptoms demonstrated by soldiers following the Civil War were called nostalgia. GIs during WWI were said to have shell shock. Military personnel from WWII and the Korean Conflict were suffering combat fatigue. No matter what term is used, the symptoms are the same.
Read more here »
|
|
|
|
by Ian Adams
During a class last week, a lady made the comment: "That's the problem with police, you don't show enough feeling. You don't feel enough." She's adopted without examination that particularly dangerous leftist idea that this nation's protectors are inhuman security robots, walking through the world without experiencing it. Her assumption that those who purchase peace through violence are somehow less deserving. Anyway, I stewed over the weekend on it, and wrote the following this morning. Read more here »
|
|
|
|
The Price They Pay
by Karen Solomon
The Price They Pay will attempt to return to the modern police officer something they have been lacking for a long time - humanity. Enter their homes, their hearts, and their minds to see what they really experience. Learn how their departments, benefits, friends, and families have failed them. Find out what it's really like to walk the path of an emotionally or physically injured officer and why the belief that every officer is supported and cared for through the thin blue line is a fallacy.
No One Should See What I Have Seen
by Centering Corporation
If you have been awake all night, if dreams become terrors, if you can't eat or want to eat all the time, if you feel as if you are encased in plastic, and when your family and persons who love you try to touch you, you feel nothing; if you wonder what life is all about and whether it's worth living anymore; your loved ones know you can say, No One Should See What I Have Seen.
|
|
|
|
|
GRIEVING BEHIND THE BADGE ~ IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT GRIEF
|
For over 20 years, the Sweeney Alliance has been committed to helping emergency responders learn skills to cope with the emotional and traumatic events of their job. We deliver an interactive training program and resources that can improve your quality of life. Peggy Sweeney works with you to design a comprehensive training to meet your specific objectives. Training programs are ideal for any size group, from a single department to a countywide initiative. Who should attend: firefighters, EMS personnel, public safety officers, 911 dispatchers, families, department chaplains, and mental health professionals. Call today to discuss training options.
|
|
|
|
