CopShock, Surviving Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
About W.H. Martin
Photo by Baron Erik Spafford
Detective William H. Martin (Ret.) was the inspiration for CopShock and wrote
the Foreword for the book. In part, here is what he says:
"For most of my police years, I was addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs. I
often had suicidal thoughts and once tried to kill myself. I didn't realize that my
exposure to frequent trauma was causing PTSD. Fortunately, I have benefited from
counseling and am now in recovery. But if I had had this book when I was a rookie cop,
maybe the quality of my life would have been better.
"I have never read a book with so much truth, honesty, eye-opening emotion and
problem identification as CopShock. This book will begin the healing process for
thousands of dedicated, active-duty officers. These officers have decades of service left
to perform, yet do not know that the cumulative effects of PTSD have taken a heavy toll on
them. Even retired officers, once they identify their symptoms, will begin to heal.
"The general public, those we have sworn to protect and to serve, will also gain
valuable insight from this book into the lives of law enforcement officers. They will see
how confronting life-threatening or hopeless situations causes changes in our personal
lives, marriages, careers and families. They'll see why some of us behave the way we do in
our contacts with them.
"It is my prayer that this informative, inspiring book assists law enforcement, their
family members, emergency services people, war veterans and the general public in
recovering from trauma."
For over thirty-three years, Detective Martin served as an emergency services provider --
two years in ambulance service, two years in volunteer fire service, four years in the
United States Coast Guard, two years as an LAPD patrol officer and twenty-three years as a
detective. For eight of those years as a detective, he was the coordinator for the Drug
and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program, Los Angeles Police Department.
After retiring from the department, Bill became a chemical dependency and intervention
counselor. He is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADAC), Certified Employee
Assistance Professional/ Substance Abuse Professional (CEAP/SAP), Certified Criminal
Justice Specialist (CCJS) and a Certified Addictions Specialist (CAS).
He is in private practice in Farmington, New Mexico, and lives in Blanco with his wife
Bobbi.