A: Basically, there are three main possible reasons. Two are related to the job itself, and the third has to do with life outside the job.

The first potential reason is over-identification with the police role. There are some guys who feel they're living in the Cop Channel - "all cop all the time." Their enthusiasm for their work crowds out all other priorities because nothing gives them greater pleasure than being a cop. Actually, this gung-ho attitude may be a positive work quality - to a point. Nobody has inexhaustible energy or motivation and, pushed to the limit, such an officer is a prime candidate for burnout and job stress. The solution is balance: validate your officer spouse's commitment to the job, but emphasize that "recharging the batteries" by taking some occasional time off will only enhance his law enforcement effectiveness.

The second reason - frequently tied in with the first - is insecurity. Some officers feel the need to constantly "prove themselves" to their coworkers and their department by taking on more and more work and bigger and bigger assignments. In some cases, the departmental culture may reinforce this: only a wuss or a slacker turns down a job. Here, the challenge is to help the officer develop a feeling of realistic confidence and accomplishment in the good job that he's doing, so he can chill out a little and not be so driven to demonstrate his worth.

In the third situation, the job is actually a respite from a distressing home life. In other words, work is an escape. Here, the task is to focus on healing the home front so that productive work is balanced by a supportive and fulfilling family life. In these cases, each family has to find the particular strategy that works for them.

Laurence Miller, PhD is a clinical, forensic, and consulting psychologist in Boca Raton, Florida, and police psychologist for the West Palm Beach Police Department. Dr. Miller can be reached at (561) 392-8881, or online at:
www.practicalpsych.com