How to survive PTSD

 
CopShock: Second Edition
Surviving Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

by Allen R. Kates, MFAW, BCECR

Reviews

"Allen Kates' second edition of CopShock is without a doubt, one of the most valuable books available for police officers, families, suicide prevention personnel and veterans on the topic of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
"Kates is concise and to the point as he discusses what PTSD is and how it occurs from internalized reactions of horror to a critical incident or from an accumulation of events. The confusion into which officers are thrown in many situations is well laid out (the officer who 'doesn't shoot' experiencing trauma like the officer who does, for example).
"What to Do About CopShock' is a tremendously valuable chapter. Kates encourages officers to set up a support system before a critical incident occurs, which includes friends and family, peer counselors and therapists and support groups.'Preparing for the inevitable,' says Kates, 'puts officers in control during a period when control is sometimes taken away.' This is life-saving advice. Along with sound observations, he offers several excellent self-tests and evaluations and an extensive list of resources available to officers.
"One important addition is a chapter on officers dealing with their 9/11 experiences, particularly cases in which the symptoms did not display for years after. The chapter on Resiliency is also a new, thoughtful chapter that offers some well considered suggestions on developing what the author calls a resilience to future traumatic events.
"It was hard to improve on the original edition of CopShock, but Allen Kates has done it superbly."

"CopShock is not just for Law Enforcement Officers, but for all members of the Emergency Services including Fire Fighters and Emergency Medical personnel. It goes beyond what you see on the news into the trauma that takes place everyday on America's front lines. If you want to know what happens to our emergency services people, then have a read. It will keep you on the edge of your chair.
"Author Allen R. Kates has done an exceptional job educating all of those who serve by shaping and defining the stories of those officers and firefighters wounded psychologically in the line of duty.
"CopShock, Second Edition, is written in commonsense language. We at North American Fire Fighter Veterans Network (www.firefighterveteran.com) strongly recommend this book for all wounded warriors and those who want to know how to prevent PTSD before it begins."

"This really is the definitive guide to police related PTSD. I was astonished at how well the book was able to pinpoint problems that I easily related to. I finally felt that someone understood my problems! That revelation cannot be understated. I also easily recognized how police work has affected so many of my friends and family. I only wish CopShock had been available to me 28 years ago. The highest five star rating to the book and to the author."

"I highly recommend this well-written, powerful book. CopShock is a must-read for mental health professionals, health care workers, police officers, fire fighters, emergency workers, and their families and friends. Allen Kates's compelling, real-life stories bring alive the accumulative effect of trauma that police officers encounter on the job, and the chaos and devastation it brings to many lives.
"CopShock should be included in the training curriculum of law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and emergency workers to arm them with the skills to ward off the downhill spiral from on-the-job stress, and to help the psychologically wounded recover."

"CopShock helps active duty and retired officers and their loved ones understand the effects of exposure to repeated violence and tragedy."

"At last, someone has written a work on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder that the cop in the street will identify with. Police chiefs and ranking officers should use this book as a guide for dealing with traumatized cops under their command."

"CopShock offers solutions on how to prevent or manage PTSD symptoms. The author helps officers and their families understand PTSD's devastating effect on their lives."

"Highly recommended by leaders in the field, this book should be in every chaplain's library."

"This is an excellent book."

"A novelist's way with words, each account reads like a short story. Police and corrections officers and others who work in emergency services of the military--and their families--will find this book exceedingly helpful."

"The book is not just great for cops, but for family, friends and people who love the men and women who face the daily rigors of police work."

"A tremendous book. A book I recommend that any police officer read because it offers insight into the lives of law enforcement officers."

"The reporting is impartial and objective, quick and easy to read. The book presents solid ideas of how to cope or where to go for help. The book should be required reading at all the academies."

"The fruit of extensive research... jargon-free... filled with gripping stories."

"CopShock should become required reading for every member of every police department. The book can be as meaningful as a bulletproof vest, because PTSD is a greater cop killer than all the guns ever fired at police officers."

"Allen Kates is one of the first to dramatically expose the stresses on some of the most important people in our society: police officers. We need to take better care of them."

"CopShock is a powerful book! I was glued to each story. They are all real."

"Groundbreaking material. This is a very stimulating book, eloquent and disturbing."

"Allen Kates has done a real service for cops. His stories are compelling."

"I only wish that my Vietnam veteran/police officer clients and their families had had this book sooner. We could have cut to the chase and gotten on with the work of healing."

"We didn't ask for PTSD, but we can ask for a copy of this book for better understanding."

"CopShock is a book that cries out to be heard. I would recommend this book to everyone in a police marriage or those soon to be involved in the police family."

"CopShock tells it like it is. The thin blue line is not merely breaking, it is disintegrating. We can do something, and CopShock is a beginning for those who care about cops."

"CopShock is not only a great survival book for police officers who have survived critical incidents, but it also explains the dysfunction to the family members who bear the brunt of the abuse and other problems."

"I found myself sitting on the living room floor with a highlighter making notes as I read. It was like looking in a mirror. Excellent source listing for police and emergency service workers in need of help for everything from PTSD to alcohol dependency and drug addiction."

"The book CopShock has saved my life. It's written in a similar manner as the AA Book or the Al-anon Book, the sharing of experiences, strengths and hopes."

"CopShock is an important book that should be read by every police officer. It's a well-written and informative work that reveals how police officers took the right steps to begin healing. It also lists dozens of places where an officer can seek help. I highly recommend it."

"The author's insight into the day to day trauma of police work and its cumulative effect on every aspect of your life is nothing less than life saving. This book will be extremely valuable to our peer support members."

"Allen Kates has put together a magnificent work on the dangers of subsequent shock from traumatic incidents. If you go into harm's way, you should read this book."