Violence takes toll on cops' minds

Kolkata: The numerous incidents of violence in this month-long electoral season has given rise to a new form of trauma, and it affects those who are not in the direct line of fire. 'Vicarious traumatization' (VT) affects those who are often the first people to arrive at the scene of an emergency or disaster: police, firefighters, health workers, soldiers, journalists - and it can have serious consequences if not properly diagnosed and treated, say doctors.
"Law enforcement agencies are particularly at risk," said psychiatrist Jairanjan Ram. "Their trauma is compounded by the fact that the state leadership is now saying they won't be spared once the poll results are out," he added. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, at a rally in East Midnapore on Sunday, had called the police " dalal (tout)" and " bhitu (cowards)", and implied action would be taken against them once the polls are over.
The problem with those suffering from VT is that these people's professions allow them no luxury of avoiding the trauma triggers. In fact, the very process of involving themselves in their profession gives them nightmares, where images of the tragedy come back in loops. "Cops involved in dealing with poll violence might suffer from frequent attempts of re-living the trauma, anxiety, lack of concentration, mood swings and flashbacks of scenes," Ram said.
Psychologists rue that awareness of this problem is minimal in this city. Few victims come to private clinics for counselling. "Some might go to government hospitals. But most fear ostracization while talking about such mental health issues. Instead, they try to portray a macho image, since it os drilled into them that they ought to be 'man enough' to handle such situations," said consultant psychiatrist Rima Mukherjee. She feels debriefing is important after handling a catastrophe so that rescue workers and caregivers can "ventilate" their trauma.