CPTSD CASE STUDY
THE UNICORN BEDROOM
Norfolk PC and Fed rep, Kevin Borrett, was diagnosed with Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) and his journey has led to support for officers in Norfolk and Suffolk
incidents over in my mind. I often woke during the night drenched in sweat with my heart racing and gasping for air. This meant I was often operating with very little sleep, I was short with my colleagues and reacting negatively to changes at work. I spoke to my GP, who prescribed sleeping tablets. I felt like I couldn’t switch off and I was in a state of hyper-vigilance. Simple things, like going out for a family meal, were challenging. I was constantly scanning people in the restaurant, looking for threats. I didn’t feel I was present and ultimately, I was unable to enjoy the time we spent together. As these issues escalated, I asked my
I’m Kev of Norfolk Constabulary. I’m 45 years old and have two children. I’ve spent the last 20 years in frontline policing and this is my story. Aged 19, I started my policing career in the South African Police. This is best described as policing in a challenging environment. I quickly became accustomed to dealing with murders, shootings and traumatic incidents with no system for debriefing or processing jobs. Police shootings were resolved by a chat with the inspector and a quick statement, then it was back to the station to reload. After moving to the UK in 2001, I joined the Met Police’s Territorial Support Group. During my time there I dealt with
20 | POLICE | JUNE 2023
the 7 July 2005 London bombings, and counter-terrorism operations. I transferred to Norfolk in 2013 and qualified as an ARV officer and really took to the role, thriving in the high-pressure environment. Due to demand, we often moved from deployment to deployment
supervisor to refer me to workplace health. My ex-wife, who is a serving police officer, was supportive but finding it difficult to manage. Our two children were at primary school at the time. I was often unhappy and short-tempered. I began withdrawing more, not wanting to get involved with family activities or see friends. I was using alcohol as a coping mechanism, which made me feel progressively worse. I had dealt with so many traumatic and high-pressure jobs up to this point, but one had a profound effect on me, and it worried me about how I reacted to it. While on a mobile
“I began experiencing intrusive thoughts, flash- backs and night terrors. I was having trouble falling asleep, replaying incidents in my mind, and waking up drenched in sweat with my heart racing, gasping for air”
with very little time to process. Towards the end of 2021, I began experiencing intrusive thoughts, flashbacks and night terrors. I was having trouble falling asleep after work, replaying
ARV patrol, local units were dispatched when a hanging was reported. We were close by. Due to my enhanced medical training and equipment, I self-
deployed to the incident and we were first on the scene. A three-year-old girl ran out the front door and into the street. My crew partner caught hold of her as we went
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