Cumulative stress is described on the Badge of Life website as a collection of micro-traumas or “soul woundings”—the secret mistakes, betrayals, and moments of shame, helplessness, or horror an officer never shares. Cumulative stress, sometimes known as burnout, results from the prolonged, unrelieved wear and tear that comes from having more demands than a person can respond to. Over time, this pile-up of subcritical incidents can damage one’s emotional and physical well-being and culminate in posttraumatic stress.
