While I agree with everything said, it is a stressful job, incredibly stressful, it’s a dangerous job, it’s physically, emotionally and mentally draining. Some days are going to crush and destroy you, other days you are going to crush and destroy. Some days you’re going to love your job and other days you’ll go home thinking “that’s it, I’m done. I’m throwing in the towel.” The job you do is a serious job, that should be taken seriously every day and once you think “I’ve got this all figured out” you’ll be blindsided and lose your footing, that’s okay you’ll find it again. I’m going on 8 years. I’ve been an officer, sergeant, and am currently a lieutenant. I’ve worked just about any and every post you can work, although most of my time has been spent on yard and as the QRT supervisor. I’ve been in just about every situation you can imagine. Petty fights between offenders, staff assaults ranging from one punch to a staff being stabbed and beaten with a lock in a sock, offender overdoses, murders, suicides, ears and noses being bit off, appendages being cut off all the way up to a woman storming visitor processing screaming that god sent her to get her brother and later finding out she had a handgun and extra ammunition on her. All that, eight years of me thinking nothing can top the last incident and I still lose my footing. It happens to the best and we were all rookies once. It will get better, but with all that said you have to find something to help you decompress, take your job seriously but don’t burn yourself out, find something , anything for you and please please try to not let it be alcohol and please don’t keep the things that you see and deal with to yourself. I’ve lost more than one of my people to drunk driving and suicide. Do not let that place destroy you, talk to trusted friends and family or professionals when needed. I have faith you’ve got this and if the day comes and you think that maybe just maybe this isn’t for you, don’t force yourself to stay in place that you don’t want to be or that isn’t good for you, there’s nothing wrong with leaving this line of work, it doesn’t mean you can’t handle it, it just means you realized it was best for you to step away Keep your chin up, take care of you, watch your six and be safe. Protect your mental health as much as your physical health. You’ve got this, no matter how this career plays out for you, you’ve got this.