[Glenn E. Meyer]

So many threads focus on ammo, guns, and when to draw. However, some folks think beyond the mechanics of the gun fight to the legal consequences.

I wonder how many folks have bothered to think about the psychological /social consequences also. What will happen to affect your psychological well being and that of your family? What will change in your social relationships?

Sometimes, I think in our naive world view, some of us think we will be praised as heroes. Our family will look at us as gods and our neighbors and co-workers will praise us. Are we not the mighty sheepdog!

Anyway, through various professional threads and tactical training, the psychological consequences have been of interest to me.

Various classes have stressed that after a shooting and taking a life you could have serious psychological problems. The military and police are aware of this to some degree. Stress disorders occur and substance abuse occurs. You have problems at work and coworkers may not think you are a hero. If one thinks this is wussy, the trainers such as the Insights crowd, certainly are not.

Can you deal with it? Is being able to dance around a shoot a tight group sufficient?

Anyway, stop preaching - Dr. Meyer.

I found that reading some books accessible to the layperson to be very useful.

Deadly Force Encounters : What Cops Need To Know To Mentally And Physically Prepare For And Survive A Gunfight -- by Loren W. Christensen;

Copshock, Surviving Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Surviving Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (Ptsd) (Paperback)
by Allen R. Kates

Into the Kill Zone - David Klinger

These are written towards police, as to my knowledge and that of stress expert friends, a specific book for civilian aftershoot consequences has not been done. But the info is very relevant.

Just a thought, when I read all the righteous sheepdog posting. There's more to it and knowledge is power.