UK:Police officers talk about their battle against PTSD

Police officers talk about their battle against PTSD

BBC
By Nicola Dowling, Sally Chesworth and Adrian Goldberg5live Investigates

December 3, 2017

Sgt Suzie Randall struggled with her mental health after working in traumatic circumstances

More than half of all police forces in England and Wales have told the BBC the number of officers having to take long-term sick leave because of mental health problems has been increasing over the last six years. 5 live Investigates has spoken to officers struggling to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) brought on by some of the disturbing things they've experienced during the course of their job.

"I remember just before Christmas going to the death of a child," Sussex police sergeant Suzie Randall recalls.

"If you can imagine walking into a house with a massive Christmas tree and the child's siblings sobbing their hearts out, the family sobbing their hearts out. That was the first incident when I think I suddenly became not very well."

Suzie was an experienced officer with many years in the job when her mental health began to suffer.

Unsure of quite what was wrong and determined not to let the public or her colleagues down, the 44-year-old didn't immediately seek help.

"I carried on and over a three-month period I dealt with some horrific incidents. A samurai sword attack, a double murder - just awful, awful things." 

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