Working in security has its burdens, regardless of whether they are hobnobbing with celebrities. A study by the University of Portsmouth reveals that people who work in the field struggle with their mental health.
Researchers found that British private security operatives not only suffer from PTSD but also lack mental health support.
The study further revealed that 64.6 percent of security guards suffer verbal mistreatment at least once a month. Half of these cases were said to be happening “as regular as once a week.”
43 percent of the research participants also reported threats of violence at least once a month, while more than 30 percent reported experiencing some form of physical harm once a year.
Clearly, working in security isn’t for everyone. It requires a specific mindset to want to put oneself in harm’s way for a living. So, what happens when someone seemingly ill-equipped for the job tries their hand at it?
Novelist and non-fiction author Richard T. Kelly did just that. In a 2023 article for Esquire, he described in detail his experience working security at an event that involved a big-name movie star.
According to Kelly, his job was to deter “over-friendly members of the audience” from harassing the VIP. He says he immediately accepted the gig, despite his lack of experience, and was determined to do commendable work.
“Professional security is a serious business; I wasn’t taking it lightly,” Kelly wrote, while also noting that the job “didn’t look like a high-pressure number.
Based on his account, Kelly got the job done impressively. He was able to ward off a potentially crazed fan and end the night with no issues, declaring it a “mission accomplished.”
“My friend seemed relieved that the charade had passed off. I went directly to the nearest pub, feeling I had earned myself a cold one,” he wrote.
