The question is not whether you’ll change; you will. Research clearly shows that everyone’s personality traits shift over the years, often for the better. But who we end up becoming and how much we like that person are more in our control than we tend to think they are.
Posted September 9, 2022 | Reviewed by Tyler Woods
September is Suicide Prevention Month. Witnessing some of the most traumatic scenes in society, police officers are at particularly high risk for suicide. In fact, cops are two to three times more likely to kill themselves than they are to be killed in the line of duty. Recently, I wrote about legislation that might have the unintended effect of encouraging suicide by police officers, rather than preventing it. I prefer to put my efforts into stopping suicide.
Do you know someone you believe is suicidal? I offer the following tips in the hopes of preventing one more tragic police suicide:
Sandy (not her real name) who was on disability leave, confessed to her wife that she was thinking about suicide but didn’t want to kill herself impulsively. She had locked her weapons in a friend’s gun locker and put the key in a safe deposit box at a bank. Her wife was able to verify this. She alerted Sandy’s therapist immediately, and the therapist arranged to see Sandy the next day, increased their sessions, and arranged for a medication appointment.
Suicide damages more than the person who died. If you can stop one person from taking their own life, you will be protecting the future well-being of the people around them for generations to come.
If you or someone you love is contemplating suicide, seek help immediately. For help 24/7 contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK, or the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. To find a therapist near you, see the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.
Kirschman, E. (2018) I Love a Cop: What Police Families Need to Know. New York. Guilford Press.
Kirschman, E. (2022, August 23) Is New Federal Legislation Encouraging Cops to Commit Suicide? https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/node/1179167/preview.
Ellen Kirschman, Ph.D., is a psychologist and has been counseling police officers and their families for 30 years.
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The question is not whether you’ll change; you will. Research clearly shows that everyone’s personality traits shift over the years, often for the better. But who we end up becoming and how much we like that person are more in our control than we tend to think they are.