On Being a Police Officer Ep. 55 Scott Medlin - Giving up his 15-year law enforcement career and embarking on a mission to help LEOs survive and thrive.
Ep. 55 - Scott Medlin found his calling as a police officer, a career he wanted since high school. After his deployment with the Marine Corps in 2003 and 2005 for Operation Iraqi Freedom, Scott fulfilled his dream and joined a police department in North Carolina. His most thrilling role was as K9 handler; he loved tracking and “the adrenaline rush of running in, not knowing what you're going to come up on.” But his commitment to the job was overtaking his life and taking its toll on his family. He decided to leave the streets to become a School Resource Officer (SRO), another role Scott came to love. While he missed being on patrol, he loved the kids and the impact he could have on their lives and theirs on his. Even that role was not helping reduce Scott’s stress.
Ultimately, after 15 years in law enforcement, Scott chose to leave the profession in 2020 when his PTSD, addiction and depression became too much. It was at this time he learned that more officers were dying by suicide than in the line of duty. That meant other officers were suffering, too.
As Scott says, “I basically thought to myself, you mean all these mental health struggles I've had, I was not alone? Because I thought I was. I just said, I've got to step up. If I can talk about the struggles I went through, maybe it can help someone.”
And that’s exactly what he did. Scott embarked on a journey to inspire and encourage police officers to focus on their personal wellbeing in order to survive the career and better serve the public. He has become a national speaker, author of five books and content creator on social media platforms. He has presented at numerous first responder conferences and police academies.
In this episode, you’ll hear the stories of all Scott went through, the sacrifices he made for the job, the sacrifice he made to give up the job, and how he has used his own pain and personal growth to help others including LE, first responders and veterans. If you’ve seen Scott on social media or on his 10 Code Mindset channel on YouTube, you know how dynamic, relatable and inspiring he is.
Here’s where you can find Scott. Really, all you have to do is Google him or 10 Code Mindset and you’ll find him!
His website:
The 10 Code Mindset YouTube Channel and Podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmNfLYoIkm0
https://www.instagram.com/the10codemindset/
https://www.facebook.com/The10CodeMindset
X:
@10CodeMindset
https://twitter.com/10CodeMindset
His fifth book The Power in Showing Up is out now; get it on Amazon as well as his first four books.
The documentary, “Is There Something Going on at Home,” available on Amazon Prime video.
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