Night terrors, flashbacks and panic attacks - former police reveal trauma

Nick, from Sussex, worked on high profile cases including the search for Sarah Everard in Kent.He also retired with complex PTSD after two decades of policing. "It's the constant drip, drip, drip of trauma, not just the horrific murders, the child deaths, the RTC [road traffic collision] fatals", he said.Nick, who was a specialist search officer for the Metropolitan Police and worked in the military, believes some officers are reluctant to speak out - although he says that the stigma is "starting to go"."It took me a long while to come forward and say, 'I'm not right, I'm not the person I used to be'," he said."I'm hyper vigilant when I go out, so it's like I've not left the job. It's like being a prisoner in some respects, because I'm a prisoner of my own mind."Andy Rhodes, service director for the NPWS, said: "We know there's this cumulative build-up that if we don't talk about it, process it, it causes a huge problem, sometimes with tragic consequences"Policing has got this very 'be strong, don't talk about it' culture, but it is getting better."Oscar Kilo launched the police-specific mental health helpline to support officers last year and it is already making an impact, according to Rhodes."It's totally anonymous, totally confidential. We do get calls and hopefully this line is already saving lives," he said.Rhodes, who is also national lead for wellbeing at the National Police Chiefs' Council, said there would be more mental health training for police forces, including suicide prevention training for all line managers and trauma awareness training for new recruits and line managers.The Home Office said new guidance would help forces to roll out tracking systems to record officer and staff exposure to traumatic incidents.It is part of £2.4m government investment, external announced earlier this month.Chief constables have also recently announced that all forces will introduce mandatory recording of police officer suicides.This comes after senior coroner Penelope Schofield published a prevention of future deaths report, external following the death of Sussex officer Benjamin Websdale, who was being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct at the time.The Police Federation said more than 100 police officers and staff across the country had died by suicide since 2022.It claims more than half of police suicides - 32 out of 55 - recorded across the UK from 2022-24 involved officers under investigation.Matthew Scott, Kent's Police and Crime Commissioner and the National Association of Police Crime Commissioners lead for mental health, has been calling for changes."We are not aware of the full scale of this problem and we need to be making every possible step to make sure we are looking after people and recording when, tragically, people are taking their own lives," he said.Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said: "Our police officers and staff put their lives at risk and operate under immense pressure each and every day. "They demonstrate exceptional courage and resilience to keep us safe, and it is crucial we protect them in return."As we deliver our reforms to policing, we will ensure that their wellbeing is prioritised, protected and never treated as an afterthought."If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this story, support and advice is available via the BBC Action LineFollow BBC Kent on Facebook, external, X, external, and on Instagram, external and listen to BBC Radio Kent on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk, external or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.