Mindfulness for First Responders – Law Officer

I was recently forwarded an article titled “Mindfulness for First Responders: Not a Magic Pill” by Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D. The article appeared at the National Police Association and was reprinted by LawOfficer.com. As someone who has written a book about mindfulness for first responders, as well as written and presented frequently on this topic, I was, of course, interested to see what the chief had to say.

And I agree with him in what I take to be his central thesis. Mindfulness is not a magic pill for effectively dealing with the stress inherent to the work of first response.

I’m not aware, however, of anyone presenting mindfulness or meditation to first responders as a “magic pill.” The fact is, when it comes to mental health, there are no magic pills.

Effectiveness of Psychological Interventions

Take, as one example, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), commonly referred to as antidepressants. According to a 2017 survey by the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 14% of Americans had used SSRIs in the year prior. Yet a 1998 study by psychologist Irving Kirsch at Harvard Medical School found that SSRIs are about as effective as placebo in treating depression. Subsequent studies have shown little or no difference between antidepressants and placebo.

“Right now, unfortunately,” writes Oxford psychologist Lucy Foulkes, “medication for mental illness is largely carried out on a trial-and-error basis until the doctor and patient find something that works.” What she doesn’t state is that medication doesn’t work at all for many patients.

Likewise, last year the New York Times published an article titled “Does Therapy Really Work? Let’s Unpack That.” The piece quotes and array of skeptics and proponents. But, it notes, even cognitive behavioral therapy, among the most effective modes in treating depression, is only effective in about half of the people who try it, according to research.

None of this is to say that those who are suffering from anxiety, depression, or other mental health challenges should avoid solutions such as therapy or medication. It’s just that the concept of mental health is complicated. It can take time to get right. There are no magic pills.

The Difference of Mindfulness

An essential distinction here is that mindfulness and meditation aren’t really therapeutics. Let’s broadly define terms. To meditate, as I see it, is to maintain a state of choiceless awareness: No judgments to be made; simply being. Mindfulness is the practice of bringing some of this meditative state into other facets of living, usually by focusing on the breath or other attentional device that heightens awareness. Think of it as situational awareness — because that’s exactly what it is.

Shults writes that in policing, “the profession is finally recognizing that mental wellness is an essential component of managing a police force.” Having walked exhibit halls at conferences and read professional journals and so forth, there’s no denying that mental health is a topic with lots of attention nowadays. But how is it at being “managed”?

I think a better way would be to cultivate the resilience in each of us. Law enforcement officers are among the most resilient people on the planet—they start out that way, anyway. But the stress takes a toll, and that inherent resilience gets lost to busy schedules, challenging calls, and life experience.

Conclusion

The fact is, if you’re reading this, you don’t need another podcast, article, book, class, course, dietary supplement, app, or tattoo to be more perfect. You’ve got everything you need right here, right now. What meditation offers –  and by extension, mindfulness –is a practice to wake up and realize it.

Stay safe out there and thank you to Chief Shults for the inspiration to write.

Crawford Coates, MPPA, is the author of Mindful Responder and is head of marketing at FirstWatch, an emergency services data analytics company. He is a co-founder of Below 100 and former publisher at Calibre Press. He writes and presents regularly on mindfulness and other issues impacting first responders.