Therapy, man's stuff

INTERVIEW / Alexandra Vicente da Silva

Stressful work, imminent danger, low pay, difficulties in the family. Even the coolest may lose their heads, but it is not advisable, not if you have a gun in your holster. Every one can only take so much and there is a breaking point. When we are on the brink is when a friendly hand can make a difference.  Lieutenant Alexandra Valéria Vicente da Silva is here precisely for that reason.   

Alexandra joined the Military Police force of the State of Rio de Janeiro in 2002, along with another 49 psychologists who also entered via public examination. Over the past 8 years she has been counseling police officers and their families in approximately 8 sessions a day. Currently at the Physiatry and Rehabilitation Center of the Military Police, she counsels especially recovering police officers, but she champions that the services of psychologists should be available to all, as a way to prevent future problems.

Alexandra is a PhD in Psychology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). She is also has an undergrad in Physical Education from the UFRJ and in her free time, she is a basketball coach. This dedicated woman often visits the Comunidad Segura portal to keep up to date with the world of public security, but this time, she is our source. In this exclusive interview she tells us about her experience:

How do police officers get psychological counseling?

Police officers can receive psychological counseling from other health professionals, or may be referred to us by the police administration; they may also spontaneously look for treatment at a health care center.

Do the number of counseling sessions increase when there are traumatic events, such as the downed police helicopter at the Morro dos Macacos? Do these events have a major impact on the force as a whole?

In the Morro dos Macacos case I understand that the entire corporation was affected, even those who were only indirectly involved, whether it was due to talk and discussions that followed, it ends up touching everyone, or because of the rising tensions involved in the possibilities of engaging in a confrontation.

All this tends to generate a great deal of anxiety and ends up affecting the police and their respective families in a number of ways. It is too soon to say that there was an increase in demand of psychological care because of the Morro dos Macacos confrontation. We hope that, after an initial phase, we offer counseling and continued care to those police officers who were directly involved, so as to prevent future pathologies.

In any case, the majority of the police officers are affected indirectly, since the institutional, social and political pressures increase as well as the feeling of vulnerability. The trend would be in the direction of an increase in the number of officers seeking counseling, but I cannot guarantee that is what most officers will choose.

Is there compulsory and systematic psychological care?

When we started offering psychological care back in 2002 our work was in principle obligatory, but we found there was some resistance not only on the part of officers themselves, but on the part of their commanders who had a very distorted view of psychology. An understanding that was very male chauvinist and patriarchal. “Psychology is not the stuff of men”. Why would an officer need to see a psychologist if he is not mad?

Has this changed?

In the program we were given there was no space for the opinion of officers. We were able to establish a proposal that makes it compulsory to have a first interview so that officers may express their needs and how they feel psychological counseling could help them.

This meeting also served the purpose of demystifying the psychologists, because there was still a belief that psychologists would channel information about them back to their commanders.  
This preliminary interview was necessary so that we could explain to them what it means to an officer and an officer’s family to have the services of psychologists available to them. To try and show them it has nothing to do with not being sane, or not being manly enough.

We showed officers that it is really difficult to look for the aid of psychologists when one feels one has hit a personal limit, to admit one is no longer able to carry on with the situation and that it is important to know when such limitations happen. We also held group meetings.

Did the commanders offer resistance?

In some police units there were a few commanders who did not understand the whole thing very well. But it is understandable, because from the point of view of the commander we were taking officers off the street for a couple of hours. The commander could not understand how much it would help in the medium and long term.  That brief period without a police officer could prevent bigger problems in the future. Those of us who took part in that initial group, we all arrived at the same conclusion, that if we had not organized these groups, there would have been cases of police officers who would have done something brash, who would have behaved in some improper way to a superiors, and that would have meant a much bigger complication.

Can you give us an example?

There was one occasion when a police officer who was taking part in a group session, and -back then they came in armed, now they come in unarmed – he had two guns on him, and he was trembling he was so stressed out. When the session ended and officers filed out of the room, he stayed behind. He was practically 2 meters tall and cried like a boy. He said he had bills to pay and there wasn’t enough food at his house. His daughter was unemployed. His wife could not understand his limitations and was very demanding and he wanted to be able to meet them because he was scared it would be the end of his marriage. He had problems with colleagues in the battalion. He was ready to kill a higher ranking officer that did not understand him. He was about to burst.

So I let him talk, and included a second session. The same day I talked to the Department of Social Care and got him a food benefits. I also asked him for authorization to talk to the unit commander and he agreed. The commander asked the officer who was giving trouble for a conversation and even found the officer’s daughter a job.

If that officer had not been helped then he could have shot his colleague, or he could have gone to a psychiatrist and ended up suspended. Thanks to my intervention he was able to continue working and more calmly. He did not solve all his problems but he improved and felt that the corporation had helped him.

What is the minimum frequency necessary for preventive work?

Ideally, we need two compulsory visits a year. The police officer ends up feeling more at home with that service and consequently, more at home in the corporation. He feels he is being looked after and he feels important. To feel respected and valued by your institution is very meaningful for those officers with a vocation, how take their work seriously.

Why do police officers have higher rates of suicide than the general population?

I believe this can be directly associated with the characteristics of police work here in Rio de Janeiro. Police officers are assailed by fears and anxiety even when they are off duty. They trust very few people, and are suspicious of practically everyone. If we add to this their personal life histories, family issues, personality and conflicts inside the corporation, we have “walking bombs”.

Is it possible to foresee and prevent suicides from happening?

I think that periodic psychological counseling for all officers, whether in the field or in the office, as well as specific attention given to those who have been through intense conflict situations could help to identify, prevent and treat situations that may develop into attempted suicide.

Another aspect that helps a great deal is when the officers responsible for each unit are really alert to changes in the group. The connection between the psychologist or psychiatrist can be take place quickly and efficiently when officers understand that the organization recognizes and is concerned with their pain and their difficulties.

How many people do you see a day?

Between seven and eight people a day. The thing that makes our preventive work a little more complicated is the pressure exerted on them by their family members, it has grown a lot. If an officer has a problem with his son or his wife, then we need to see them too.

How many psychologists are there in the Military Police force?

There were 50, but with the new hiring plans we will be around one hundred in all. 50 is far too little to work in prevention, there is no doubt about it. We cannot cover all the Military Police units with 50 psychologists, because you need to take into account the needs of the police officer’s families.

And will 100 be enough?

It will be a big improvement, but we need to have in mind that the number of officers will also increase, so there is no telling exactly now. We will also hire other professionals, such as a nutritionist, a social worker, a speech specialist.

Who looks for your service the most, the officers themselves or their relatives?

It depends. In the military police units, we see more police officers coming to us, at the health care centers, it’s their family members. The number of people turning to us has grown every year. If at first they were shy, now there is a substantial group that looks for us.

What are the main problems presented by police officers?

Stress and depression. In general this means it includes some psychosomatic problems, such as heart problems, high blood pressure, stomach problems. Patients often come to use sent by psychiatrists where they were sent because of a different ailment.

In the case of psychosomatic symptoms, police officers are seen by psychologists and by doctors. If the patient is interested, he will follow up with weekly visits that may last a few months or years. There are also those cases of post-traumatic stress syndrome.

Do higher ranking officers also have problems? Are these the same or different?

They do, but they come in considerably less often. The problems are the same, it’s just the position in the hierarchy that changes. At some level, everyone faces the same difficulties, with family members, with interpersonal relationships, with their responsibilities. While an officer on the street will have to report to a Sergeant, a higher-ranking officer reports to the commander general, who in turn reports to the governor. 

Do women look for counseling?

Yes, they do, in a ratio that reflects the gender make up of the force, with similar issues. Everyone has their personal life story. Some come to us more for family issues other for work issues, but it is all connected, it all has to do with how the person is and behaves.

What does psychological counseling do?

Counseling helps people realize what is good for him or her and what isn’t, what makes that person suffer, what is the best solution for her, why this person repeats certain behaviors… Naturally this maturity arrives and people start changing their behavior.

What is your PhD research about?

I am studying precisely what kind of love it is that the police officers feel for the institution. “The institution does not treat me well, it criticizes me, and I earn little, but I love it”. What is this feeling? What is this force that leads police officers, against all odds to expose themselves to situations that put their lives on the line and makes them continue to think that it is worth it. They complain, but they are back the next day.

Translated by Lis Horta Moriconi