Emotional survival for law enforcement: A guide for officers and their families [Paperback]

Kevin M Gilmartin (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 142 pages
• Publisher: E-S Press (2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971725403
• ISBN-13: 978-0971725409
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For LAW ENFORCEMENT and their families, December 11, 2004

By 

cop chick "cop chick" (South USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Emotional survival for law enforcement: A guide for officers and their families (Paperback)

I am the wife of a police officer of over 4 years. This book is EXCELLENT. Any new or established officer will benefit greatly from this book. (whether male or female officer.)

After my husband (who is an officer) read it, he said that he sees many of these examples in his life and the lives of those with whom he works. Because of this book, he has been able to recognize his deficiencies and is working on improving them. It literally saved our marriage where counseling and other books (marriage ones) could not because the real issues were never discussed: His JOB and what affects hypervigilance has in our life. It is more than just being "overly" aware of your surroundings and it is VERY real for those who are police officers.

Anyone who is married (or involved) to an officer knows how stressful it is at times, for him, you and the kids, but there is no reason to be a victim of his job. This book gives practical instruction on how to overcome many of the common symptoms that affect an officer in his career--whether a rookie or a veteran. It is a quick read because it focuses on hypervigilance-the main thing that "changes" a person when they become a cop. Being bitter on the job is not inevitable! There is hope if the officer can recognize the problem.

Give this book to all of the officers you know, especially those who are married and NEW to LE work. It can save them years of heartache if they know what to look out for and what to expect.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars How hypervigilance affects your personal life, February 13, 2004

By 

Seppo Vesala (Helsinki, - Finland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Emotional survival for law enforcement: A guide for officers and their families (Paperback)

This book handles the issue of how the need of being constantly aware of ones' surroundings can adversely affect the personal life of a police officer. While the book is aimed primarily for police officers, it can be of benefit for people in similar occupations. The information presented is not relevant for an armed citizen, however.

While this book is not te definitive book on the adverse effects of continuous hypervigilance, it explains the issue throughly and in logical manner. The author explains in a very illustrative manner how one thing leads to another: How police officer learns to like the "high" of police work, which leads to putting more emphasis on the cop role at the expence of civilian life, which in turn makes the individual more one sided, and therefore more vulnerable, and so on. At the end of the book, the author gives simple instructions on how to became an emotional survival.

The text is not too scientific, and the author uses conversational tone through the book. There are also lots of charts and drawings to illustrate the issues handled in the text. Some illustrations are used over and over, but every time there is something new added, to illustrate how things build on top of others. There is lot of humor in the text, and there are numerous case histories used throught the book to further illustrate the issues. And because the book is written in very plain language, it is fast to read.

This is a very valuable book for every law enforcement officer to read. If you are interested in officer survival, this book is essential reading.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Police Officer & Anyone Who Loves One Should Read This Book., November 10, 2007

By 

Sheepdog "564" (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Emotional survival for law enforcement: A guide for officers and their families (Paperback)

After more then 20 years as a street cop it is hard to be surprised by a book about cops anymore. I've read many books on surviving on the job, surviving deadly force encounters, police training, etc... But I felt like Dr. Gilmartin's "Emotional Survival" was written for me personally! His insight and descriptions of the stages of a cop's life are right on the mark. I found myself and EVERY other cop that I have worked with for any length of time in this book. "Emotional Survival" has helped me and my family and will help you and yours too. As a police trainer and mentor I strongly this book be read by all police officers at the start of their careers and every few years thereafter.