I feel for my brothers and sisters in Police Fire and the military. The unique nature of working in the field, in uncontrolled environments within small teams to address critical incidents has its' own unique support requirements. Who's caring for the carers? Organisations HAVE come a long way in recent years but if their services fail to meet the needs of individuals these same organisations are only too quick to say they've met their obligations and throw loyal and committed staff members on the scrap heap, isolated and forgotten. Shame on us and the Ministers RESPONSIBLE for workplace safety and welfare for allowing and enabling this. Godspeed to you my broken colleagues. Stay strong, we DO care.

Agree VP. It always angers me off when I read ignorant comments in the media and in online forums by pathetic keyboard jockeys who lay crap on our police (& the military at times) but have no bloody idea of the enormity or scope of what these people face or experience. Most of these gutless wonders would not last a day (I wouldn't) dealing with beaten women, abused kids, mangled bodies, armed crack-heads, alcohol fueled violence, etc, as well as the associated paperwork, and then defending themselves against any and every accusation by the criminals themselves and their support group of defence lawyers, civil libertarians and do-gooders The general public and our criminal justice systems need to overtly support our serving police so much more, and also lobby our state members to support those who have had to stand aside due to mental issues..

This is an extremely good social study article that should be compulsory discussion in our schools and be referred to in religious sermons in coming weeks.

I would agree, most organisations have not come a long way in supporting employed staff and volunteers. They have implement media policy structures to mitigate perceived risks.

As long as I can remember and in recent years, their services fail to meet the needs of individual and in some cases border on negligence. These same organisations are only too quick to say they've met their obligations and throw loyal and committed staff members on the scrap heap, isolated and forgotten.

Shame on Ministers RESPONSIBLE for workplace safety and welfare for allowing and enabling this.

Thank you steve for sharing your story ox We cant change the past but we can prevent new sufferers and their families from knowing this pain

You know what the job entails when you sign up. No sympathy here. As a law abiding citizen, I get pretty peezed when I get spoken to a certain way by people in uniform. The stuff you hear about how some people are treated by them and they of course ultimately get away with it. Again, no sympathy here.

And your caustic, holier than thou comments are why I have precious little faith in human kind.

Wow Miranda, you read an article about this police officer who has suffered a psychological injury - confronting a person who has just murdered someone, and being first on the scene at fatal roadside accidents, and no sympathy from you because 'you are a law abiding citizen and you get peezed about they way police speak to you' perhaps from your comments you may need to have a look at your own attitude, it really blows me away at how ignorant some people can be - I for one am thankful this police officer is still alive and not another statistic - 5 times more likely to die from their own hands than in the line of duty..... Have a think about that Miranda, and just think that the next time you are spoken to poorly by a police officer, maybe they have just been to the scene of a nasty domestic dispute, or been spat on by a drug dealer, or had to tell a family their son has died in a road accident....

Cops are tops - keep up the great work

Wow really Miranda, I would like to see you walk a week or two in their shoes. It's the old saying, if you can't see the injury than it doesn't exist. Such a load of hogwash.

First they need to get rid of the military stormtrooper look; combat pants and bristling with weapons and equipment, and tucking pants legs into combat boots.
The army tucks pant legs into the tops of their boots to keep out creepy crawlies such as leeches when they are out in the boonies, but I fail to see how police who spend most of their time driving around in cars or sitting at a desk are at risk of insects crawling up their legs.
It's a good insight into how most police see themselves.