Wasted Honor -- - Say What you Need To Say......: Writing a Mood Diary - for LEO's who don't want to discuss this with someone else

Wasted Honor -

Carl R. ToersBijns is the author of the Wasted Honor Trilogy [Wasted Honor I,II and Gorilla Justice] and his newest book From the Womb to the Tomb, the Tony Lester Story, which is a reflection of his life and his experiences as a correctional officer and a correctional administrator retiring with the rank of deputy warden in the New Mexico and Arizona correctional systems.

Carl also wrote a book on his combat experience in the Kindle book titled - Combat Medic - Men with destiny - A red cross of Valor -

Carl is considered by many a rogue expert in the field of prison security systems since leaving the profession. Carl has been involved in the design of many pilot programs related to mental health treatment, security threat groups, suicide prevention, and maximum custody operational plans including double bunking max inmates and enhancing security for staff. He invites you to read his books so you can understand and grasp the cultural and political implications and influences of these prisons. He deals with the emotions, the stress and anxiety as well as the realities faced working inside a prison. He deals with the occupational risks while elaborating on the psychological impact of both prison worker and prisoner.

His most recent book, Gorilla Justice, is an un-edited raw fictional version of realistic prison experiences and events through the eyes of an anecdotal translation of the inmate’s plight and suffering while enduring the harsh and toxic prison environment including solitary confinement.

Carl has been interviewed by numerous news stations and newspapers in Phoenix regarding the escape from the Kingman prison and other high profile media cases related to wrongful deaths and suicides inside prisons. His insights have been solicited by the ACLU, Amnesty International, and various other legal firms representing solitary confinement cases in California and Arizona. He is currently working on the STG Step Down program at Pelican Bay and has offered his own experience insights with the Center of Constitutional Rights lawyers and interns to establish a core program at the SHU units. He has personally corresponded and written with SHU prisoners to assess the living conditions and how it impacts their long term placement inside these type of units that are similar to those in Arizona Florence Eyman special management unit where Carl was a unit deputy warden for almost two years before his promotion to Deputy Warden of Operations in Safford and Eyman.

He is a strong advocate for the mentally ill and is a board member of David's Hope Inc. a non-profit advocacy group in Phoenix and also serves as a senior advisor for Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council in Chino, California As a subject matter expert and corrections consultant, Carl has provided interviews and spoken on national and international radio talk shows e.g. BBC CBC Lou Show & TV shows as well as the Associated Press.

I use sarcasm, satire, parodies and other means to make you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Writing a Mood Diary - for LEO's who don't want to discuss this with someone else

Reading the title of this article, the first thing that comes to your mind is why I should write a mood diary. It may follow up with the thought you don’t have any mood problems and am not suffering from any mood disorders. That may be true but the reason for keeping a mood diary is to help you and figure yourself out as you endure the daily stressors of life and your job as a correctional officer. It is a surefire way of keeping an inventory of your emotions and thoughts so that you can keep track of those things that bother you or make you happy or sad.

Law enforcement officers (LEO) rarely deal with their own emotions. Viewed as a weakness to seek help there are many obstacles to finding out how to manage yourself when under stress or anxiety caused situations. Asking for help is just not a reasonable option given to LEO officers and therefore rarely done to eliminate or diminish the need for exploring the feelings experienced.

Focusing on your moods is different from admitting you have a mood problem. It is nothing like you might think it is but when you write things down and keep an internal dialogue with yourself you may find out things about yourself that can make you better and calmer about how you do your job or handle your personal life. It solves two problems; you don’t have to open up to others and the only one that knows what you write down in the diary is yourself keeping it confidential and for your eyes only.

The diary is a means to identify your wants and needs. You can do this two ways – you can draw how you feel or you can write and articulate your emotions as you experience them in real time. You might be surprised how you would draw out what you are feeling as it helps to reveal how you feel inside your mind and heart rather than focusing on words. It gives you a real link to the reality and use your intuition to make things better for yourself.

There is no format or wrong way to write this journal or diary. It can be done in any format you wish to develop as long as it works best for you. You don’t have to worry about grammar or any other formal gestures or symbols but only how you feel and express yourself. Timing is everything to make it come together for you in an effective manner.

Try to write it or draw how you feel the same day or the next but never wait till you can’t remember how you felt at the time you were doing something or what you were thinking at the time. Try writing questions why you felt the way you did or why you thought the about the issue at hand that triggered your emotions.

Reflect as much as you can. Ask the who, what, when, where, why and how to answer your own questions. If you chose drawing instead of words let your imagery reflect how you expressed or felt that moment that symbolizes your mood at the moment. For example if you are angry draw something that reflects your anger and make it clear to yourself this represents your mood at the time.

Reflections should focus on how you are feeling at the moment. Has anything like this ever happened before that made me feel this way? Why do I feel this way and when did I feel this way in the past. Connecting the dots in your life helps you put together a reflection that can help you to deal with your emotions effectively and composedly.