A former Queensland police officer is speaking out about the challenges she faced after being medically retired due to psychological injuries. Natalie Gorman, who served nearly 20 years with the Queensland Police Service, received less than $4,000 in compensation for her post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She hopes to raise awareness about the lack of support for retired officers, particularly those who leave for medical reasons. Gorman's journey to becoming a police officer began at age 12 when she attended an open day at Brisbane's police academy. Although she initially pursued a career in veterinary science, her desire to serve in law enforcement never faded. "It was like a yearning, an obsession," she recalled. Gorman joined the police in her 30s and excelled as a scientific officer, often testifying in court. However, after more than a decade of responding to traumatic crime scenes, Gorman found it increasingly difficult to separate her work from her personal life. "It got to a stage where … I could not look at [deceased people] anymore," she said. After transferring to police prosecutions, she began to withdraw socially and struggled with her mental health. In 2023, a murder case involving someone she knew pushed her over the edge. "I just wanted to be dead, not at work. It was that simple," she said. Gorman medically retired at the end of 2024, but her struggles continued. She experiences traumatic flashbacks, hypervigilance, and suicidal thoughts. In June, WorkCover assessed her condition as "stable and stationary" and referred her to a medical assessment tribunal. Despite her ongoing mental health issues, the tribunal determined she had only a one percent degree of permanent impairment. Gorman described this assessment as demeaning, stating, "It felt I had wasted 20 years of my life." She received $3,987 in compensation and has been unable to access her superannuation until she turns 60 next year. To make ends meet, she has been working casually as a veterinarian, but her mental health challenges make it difficult to maintain regular hours. Gorman criticized the tribunal process, saying it was insulting and did not reflect the severity of her condition. "They have a scoring system all to do with how much you're interacting with people, your personal cleanliness, your house tidiness, and it was incredibly insulting and demeaning," she said. She called for a mandatory support network for officers who are medically retired or retire at age 60, emphasizing that many feel forgotten after leaving the service. Andrew Ayres, founding director of Blue Hope, an organization supporting current and former Queensland officers, echoed Gorman's concerns. He noted that many first responders suffer psychological damage due to the workers' compensation process. "There are police officers that I personally know of who have said, 'You know what, this is too hard,'" he said. Griffith University Associate Professor Jacqueline Drew highlighted that organizational factors, including workers' compensation processes, can cause more harm than the trauma officers experience on the job. "When we think about organizational and operational factors causing the most harm, they're things we're the architects of in our workplaces," she said. Ryan Heath, a special counsel at Sciaccas Lawyers, explained that in Queensland, claims involving PTSD are presumed to be work-related unless proven otherwise. However, complications arise when other workplace factors are involved. "WorkCover will try and seize upon that management issue rather than the substantive injury," he said. Gorman's story sheds light on the ongoing struggles faced by retired officers and the need for better support systems to address their mental health needs. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available through various crisis support services.