What are the dangers of working in law enforcement?

Hi Trinity.
Well, first the good thing about law enforcement: you and your fellow officers form a team, and constantly look out for each other.

The dangers?
1. You never lead a normal life. You work weird hours, and if you work 3pm-11pm and have kids, you will never see them, except weekends.
2. It can be difficult on relationships, especially for male cops, because women are always hitting on them, and in some groups, there is even peer pressure to cheat on one's spouse. Plus the stress of the job is something that is difficult to discuss with an outsider, so it's kept bottled up.
3. Psychological stress.
4. Physical symptoms caused by psychological stress: trouble sleeping, muscle aches, digestive issues from "Wolfing" down junky meals between calls.
5. Bad guys assume all cops are bad, so even if you are a good cop, they don't give you a chance to show it.
6. You form a "cops/everyone else" mentality. Either you are one of "us," or you aren't. You psychoanalyze everything.
7. You can never relax. Even at your kid's baseball game, you will be constantly scanning the crowd.

I imagine you had other concerns in mind when asking the question, but honestly, I went 25 years without ever getting in a fight or shooting anyone, even though I made hundreds of arrests. Learn your tactics. Always be mindful of your surroundings. Never let your guard down. Not for sweet old ladies, teens on skateboards. Nobody. Everyone is potentially out to hurt you. Trust your training, your team, and your instincts. Try to get on with a larger dept. with a good training program, not some small town. And above all else, treat people with respect until they give you a reason not to. All these people you are distrustful of may one day save your life. Civilians came to my aid more than once.

Feel free to ask follow up questions! I enjoyed my time as a cop!
Kim