Traumatized

by John G. Patterson, Deborah L. Mandel, James R. Benn

Traumatized takes the reader into the mind and soul of Connecticut State Trooper John Patterson, who, within the first six years of his career, shot and killed two armed felons in the line of duty. It is the story of his decline into major depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, leading to nightmare filled nights, addiction and family discord. With treatment, John began a long, slow journey out of the darkness and into the light. Traumatized is a courageous story, pushing against the unwritten code in law enforcement to be a man, tough it out, no feelings allowed. The story of John’s journey is critical to understanding the psychological damage police officers, fire-fighters, soldiers, and others on the frontlines continue to endure in our name. Traumatized captures the impasse faced by individuals who face life and death situations on a daily basis, yet are not fully supported in dealing with the tremendous emotional toll.

175 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 30, 2013

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent, blunt personal account of a CT State Trooper and how he deals with his PTSD after two on-the-job traumatizing calls. Interspersed with interviews of family and John's counselor one comes away feeling the struggle of carrying such emotional scarring.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

real powerful

I definitely feel honored to have read this book, being a law enforcement officer in the state of CT I know this area and some of the troopers in this book . Pretty phenomenal story

[Richard Bickerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

i bought this by mistake as I was looking for James Patterson books I had not read. Once I started this I realized my mistake. I kept with it and was glad I did. It is a autobiography of a Connecticut State Trooper who was unfortunate to be involved in two fatal shootings in his career. At this time there was no support for officers involved in this type of incident and PTSD was not a recognized illness. Read it, it is enlightening.

[William May · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author captures the emotional toll that front line law enforcement work can take on the individual spirit. Interesting look into human emotions.