The Other Side Of The Gun: Susan Snow On Losing Her Father In the Line Of Duty

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Today, I sit down with Susan Snow — author of The Other Side of the Gun — to talk about trauma, grief, and the brutal reality of what happens when your parent dies in the line of duty. Ms. Snow was just 17 years old when her father, an LAPD robbery homicide detective, was gunned down on Halloween night in 1985. She walks us through the raw details of that day — the phone call, the scene at the school, and the surreal moment she saw her father’s body under a white sheet.

We unpack how trauma lingers when it's not treated, how poorly equipped the 1980s were for addressing mental health, and how Ms. Snow’s first experience with therapy left her feeling broken instead of better. But years later, a panic attack triggered by the Columbine school shooting forced her to confront the pain she thought she buried. With the help of a trauma-informed therapist, she finally got the correct diagnosis — PTSD — and began the hard work of healing. She shares how journaling, EMDR, and other therapies helped her regain peace after decades of fight-or-flight survival.

Ms. Snow also discusses the ripple effect of her father’s death on her relationships, her marriage, her kids, and her own identity. Her book isn’t just a memoir — it’s a message of hope for law enforcement families, trauma survivors, and anyone carrying hidden pain. She speaks powerfully about the need for mental health support in police and military circles, the dangers of emotional suppression, and the myth that asking for help is weakness.

https://susansnowspeaks.com/

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