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RELENTLESS COURAGE: Winning the Battle Against Frontline Trauma
" RELENTLESS COURAGE is one of the most important books of our time . Building on her previous book, How to Support Those Who Protect Us , Doc Springer has teamed with Michael Sugrue to give us the vital, essential, 'next step forward' in understanding and healing the trauma inflicted upon our first responders in these tragic, violent times… RELENTLESS COURAGE is truly the natural and essential successor to my book, ON COMBAT ."
- Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, whose book ON COMBAT sold half a million copies
A CRUEL IRONY
Our first responders are uniquely strong, brave, and emotionally flexible.
They are called to support us on the worst days of our lives. They see and hear things that are burned into their memories forever. They see the worst in humanity and then do their best to be a loving partner, parent, and friend.
On the other hand, they are uniquely vulnerable.
For example, data from Police Forum shows that the risk of suicide among police officers is 54 percent greater than among American workers in general.
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT
Much of what first responders do – the things they see and the personal risks they take - happens outside of our collective awareness. Data published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress reveals that they experience a level of trauma exposure that most of us can’t even imagine. In a sample of more than 700 police officers from three major police departments, on both the east and west coast, over half have been threatened with a gun (51%), knife or weapon (55%), and nearly all (87%) have seen someone dying (87.2%).
First responders are resigning in droves. And they’re dying in record numbers. According to the Washington Post, more officers die by suicide each year than are killed in the line of duty, by all causes.
STIGMA IS DEADLY
We are losing good men and women, whose collective trauma, never addressed in an effective way, becomes too heavy a burden to carry. The impact of this trauma deserves to be recognized and addressed. This is an untold story with urgent, global implications.
Best-selling author Dr. Shauna Springer and decorated Sergeant Michael Sugrue tell this story in RELENTLESS COURAGE . Sugrue bares his soul to help save his fellow brothers and sisters in the first responder community, and openly shares the mindsets, private struggles, losses, and personal betrayals that led him to become suicidal at one time. He shares how he healed and what kinds of programs and resources were most helpful in bringing him out of his darkest valley.
Each chapter includes a wealth of original, game-changing insights on trauma from nationally renowned psychologist, Dr. Shauna Springer, one of the world’s leading experts in psychological trauma and healing.
For example...
Together, Sugrue and Springer tell the story that has been hidden in plain sight and provide perspective, truth and wisdom to help mend the divide between first responders and those they serve, and to help us all heal from our own traumas.
"Unbelievably brave, every American needs to hear this story! Doc Springer and Michael Sugrue have moved the officer wellness conversation a decade into the future.”
- Chris Littrell, Police Officer, Police1 Columnist
- Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, whose book ON COMBAT sold half a million copies
A CRUEL IRONY
Our first responders are uniquely strong, brave, and emotionally flexible.
They are called to support us on the worst days of our lives. They see and hear things that are burned into their memories forever. They see the worst in humanity and then do their best to be a loving partner, parent, and friend.
On the other hand, they are uniquely vulnerable.
For example, data from Police Forum shows that the risk of suicide among police officers is 54 percent greater than among American workers in general.
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT
Much of what first responders do – the things they see and the personal risks they take - happens outside of our collective awareness. Data published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress reveals that they experience a level of trauma exposure that most of us can’t even imagine. In a sample of more than 700 police officers from three major police departments, on both the east and west coast, over half have been threatened with a gun (51%), knife or weapon (55%), and nearly all (87%) have seen someone dying (87.2%).
First responders are resigning in droves. And they’re dying in record numbers. According to the Washington Post, more officers die by suicide each year than are killed in the line of duty, by all causes.
STIGMA IS DEADLY
We are losing good men and women, whose collective trauma, never addressed in an effective way, becomes too heavy a burden to carry. The impact of this trauma deserves to be recognized and addressed. This is an untold story with urgent, global implications.
Best-selling author Dr. Shauna Springer and decorated Sergeant Michael Sugrue tell this story in RELENTLESS COURAGE . Sugrue bares his soul to help save his fellow brothers and sisters in the first responder community, and openly shares the mindsets, private struggles, losses, and personal betrayals that led him to become suicidal at one time. He shares how he healed and what kinds of programs and resources were most helpful in bringing him out of his darkest valley.
Each chapter includes a wealth of original, game-changing insights on trauma from nationally renowned psychologist, Dr. Shauna Springer, one of the world’s leading experts in psychological trauma and healing.
For example...
Together, Sugrue and Springer tell the story that has been hidden in plain sight and provide perspective, truth and wisdom to help mend the divide between first responders and those they serve, and to help us all heal from our own traumas.
"Unbelievably brave, every American needs to hear this story! Doc Springer and Michael Sugrue have moved the officer wellness conversation a decade into the future.”
- Chris Littrell, Police Officer, Police1 Columnist
360 pages, Paperback
Published April 29, 2022
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 25, 2025
Few are the books that come to us which develop into benchmarks within a specific arena. Relentless Defender is one of these gems.
There are several works out there that begin to address the story and lament that lived experience often brings. The experiences within the first responder are extremely unique; within law enforcement specifically, nuances of the misunderstood chaos that is everyday life are more pronounced.
Michael Sugrue has an extremely bold, essential, raw account of his calling as a law enforcement officer.
Sugrue hearkens back to a few high stress events in his life which has substantial impact on his continued journey to serve and protect.
Throughout the next years of his continuing protective, servant spirit, he recounts the increasing negative toll of this on his job, interagency relationships, most importantly his marriage and family, and his own head.
Essentially, he and Shauna (Doc) Springer record an account where typical words to describe Sugrue prior to these incidents were:
- Fierce
- Loyal
- Intelligent
- Street smart
- Passionate
- Lively
- Engaged
- Unfettered
- Unwavering
- Ethical
After these incidents and the downward internal spiral he continued to experience and although he had an intensively stout, successful and acclaimed history including:
- Being raised as a son of a police officer
- Training as a USAF Raven
- Number of weekly raids
- Number of affiliations and roles with additional agencies and multi-agency task forces,
leadership and unexpected co-workers essentially left Sugrue feeling forsaken.
His life was being transformed before his own eyes cracking through small and large heppeninga that were impacting him. He began to notice within himself that his "cop attributes" outlined above were being replaced with outward actions informed by
- Betrayal
- Embarrassment
- Hypervigilance
- Paranoia
- Confusion
- Loneliness
- Abandonment
- Desperation
- Isolated
- Numbness
- Fear
- Overprotection
- Risk-taking
- Moral injury
- Pain
- Anguish
- Self-blame
- Overwhelm
- Shoulda/coulda/woulda replays
- Detached
- Unapproachable
- Being an "asshole"
- Showing no empathy
- Being a bullseye
- Ddistrust
- Depression
- Hypersensitivity
- Shame
- Chronic threat response CTR
- Physical cancer
- Divorce
- Suicidal
Until an epiphany of sorts with established rapport of a trusted soul who helped him to get plugged in with Shauna (Doc) Springer so that he could start the journey to reclaim his original, true self.
If you are a cadet, an officer or other first responder of any rank and experience, a family member or loved one of someone who is a law enforcement officer, an individual searching for answers about your purpose and priorities, an empathic person in general, or a skeptic of the uniquely turmoiled world in which law enforcement officers live every single day, this book is for you!
You will be encouraged, strengthened, and ultimately inspired by this real-life lived experience of Sugrue.
Don't cheat yourself and miss this book.
Thank you, Michael Sugrue and Shauna (Doc) Springer for this.
There are several works out there that begin to address the story and lament that lived experience often brings. The experiences within the first responder are extremely unique; within law enforcement specifically, nuances of the misunderstood chaos that is everyday life are more pronounced.
Michael Sugrue has an extremely bold, essential, raw account of his calling as a law enforcement officer.
Sugrue hearkens back to a few high stress events in his life which has substantial impact on his continued journey to serve and protect.
Throughout the next years of his continuing protective, servant spirit, he recounts the increasing negative toll of this on his job, interagency relationships, most importantly his marriage and family, and his own head.
Essentially, he and Shauna (Doc) Springer record an account where typical words to describe Sugrue prior to these incidents were:
- Fierce
- Loyal
- Intelligent
- Street smart
- Passionate
- Lively
- Engaged
- Unfettered
- Unwavering
- Ethical
After these incidents and the downward internal spiral he continued to experience and although he had an intensively stout, successful and acclaimed history including:
- Being raised as a son of a police officer
- Training as a USAF Raven
- Number of weekly raids
- Number of affiliations and roles with additional agencies and multi-agency task forces,
leadership and unexpected co-workers essentially left Sugrue feeling forsaken.
His life was being transformed before his own eyes cracking through small and large heppeninga that were impacting him. He began to notice within himself that his "cop attributes" outlined above were being replaced with outward actions informed by
- Betrayal
- Embarrassment
- Hypervigilance
- Paranoia
- Confusion
- Loneliness
- Abandonment
- Desperation
- Isolated
- Numbness
- Fear
- Overprotection
- Risk-taking
- Moral injury
- Pain
- Anguish
- Self-blame
- Overwhelm
- Shoulda/coulda/woulda replays
- Detached
- Unapproachable
- Being an "asshole"
- Showing no empathy
- Being a bullseye
- Ddistrust
- Depression
- Hypersensitivity
- Shame
- Chronic threat response CTR
- Physical cancer
- Divorce
- Suicidal
Until an epiphany of sorts with established rapport of a trusted soul who helped him to get plugged in with Shauna (Doc) Springer so that he could start the journey to reclaim his original, true self.
If you are a cadet, an officer or other first responder of any rank and experience, a family member or loved one of someone who is a law enforcement officer, an individual searching for answers about your purpose and priorities, an empathic person in general, or a skeptic of the uniquely turmoiled world in which law enforcement officers live every single day, this book is for you!
You will be encouraged, strengthened, and ultimately inspired by this real-life lived experience of Sugrue.
Don't cheat yourself and miss this book.
Thank you, Michael Sugrue and Shauna (Doc) Springer for this.
March 28, 2024
This book will unequivocally save the lives of countless first responders, active military and veterans.
This book should be a must read for all family members, friends and loved ones of anyone who serves in uniform.
Understanding the human side of the badge will not only help those who serve, their family members; but also the general public. The timing of this book is impeccable….. it is needed now more than ever!
This book should be a must read for all family members, friends and loved ones of anyone who serves in uniform.
Understanding the human side of the badge will not only help those who serve, their family members; but also the general public. The timing of this book is impeccable….. it is needed now more than ever!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews