Alcoholism in police officers can occur as a result of job-related stressors, and it may, unfortunately, be part of law enforcement culture.
Undoubtedly, police officers have difficult and stressful jobs. They’re often faced with violence, conflict and potentially dangerous situations, which can take its toll on their mental and physical health. In fact,data shows that police work ranks among the five most stressful occupationsin the United States.
Some police officers may usealcohol as a way to cope with the daily stressof their job or as a way to self-medicate for depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. Others might have alcohol conditions stemming from genetics or the environment they grew up in. If someone comes to a law enforcement career with a predisposition for alcoholism, they can be triggered by the stressful and often grim situations they face on the job.
How Common Is Alcoholism Among Police Officers?
It’s tough to know exact numbers, butone study in The American Journal on Addictionssurveyed over 700 urban police officers and found that 7.8% had abused alcohol or been dependent on it at some point in their lives. Furthermore, 18.1% of male officers and 15.9% of female officers indicated they had suffered negative consequences because of alcohol abuse.
The numbers above may seem relatively high, but a more recentreport analyzed the results of 60 different studiesinvolving nearly 300,000 law enforcement officers across the globe; results showed that just over a quarter of them engaged in hazardous levels of drinking.
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Researchers have found that alcohol abuse tends to increase after officers enter police training. For instance,a study of almost 200 officers assessed their drinking behaviorsat the start of police training, six months into training, and after a year of training. They found that the risk of hazardous drinking increased as officers spent more time with the police force. Study authors concluded that there may be a culture among police officers that promotes the consumption of alcohol.
While hazardous drinking is problematic among officers, this is not the only problem in this field.Research showsthat job stress in the law enforcement field is linked todepression, suicidal thoughts, andpost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Causes of Alcoholism in Police Officers
There are several reasons that alcoholism in police officers is so problematic:
Like many first responders, officers often manage significant demands from their superiors with stretched resources. There tends to be the notion that law enforcement officers need to suppress their emotions to do their jobs, which may contribute to the high rates of alcoholism among police officers.
If you or a loved one is a police officer struggling with alcohol abuse, The Recovery Village is here to help. We have locations across the country, and we are qualified to treat both alcohol addiction and co-occurring mental health conditions, like PTSD, which officers may experience due to job-related stress.
We also offer Fortitude, a dedicated treatment program for first responders that addresses their unique struggles in Columbus, Ohio.Contact ustoday to learn about our programs.
