I was a part time drug and alcohol advisor in the Navy. The more sailors and spouses that I deal with, the harder the job got. I finally had to give it up because I found myself wanting to drink to forget their problems. I think that I had too much empathy and could not separate my feelings about and for my clients, I have no idea how a good counselor can handle that sort of work for an extended period of time.
I did a stint, also with the military police. My experiences were mild compared to what big city police face. I admire them for being able to do their job until retirement but I understand that it wears on them too. There is a high level of divorce, alcoholism and suicide among police officers. I try to make my contacts with them as stress free as possible.