The Silent Battles

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Police officers across the country are facing battles that are rarely shown to the public. They see things that no one wants to see and because of them, thankfully most citizens won't.

They have guilt after an incident that went wrong even if they might have done everything right.

They often feel the stress of doing their job correctly with constant criticism from the media and public.

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is common among first responders, but they don't always reach out for help. It often results in depression, anxiety, nightmares, irritability among peers and family, alcohol abuse, and sadly suicide.

And the list goes on.

They are only human. They can't read the subject's mind before the person causes a threat to the communities and/or to the officers. They can't time travel, with full knowledge of what is going to happen. They can't be perfect. Why? Because what I just described wasn't describing a human. It was describing superheroes. And yet, we still expect our police officers across America to be perfect?

Many times, their individual battles are so silent that even their coworkers or family don't hear about them. They are facing so much stress and heartache in this world. Thank them. Show them they are appreciated. It will brighten their day for sure.

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