The interesting thing is that.... I did apply to the RCMP. If I had followed through with it, I believe it would have been potentially easier to get on with them, but I also would've had to make the decision about moving away from my family, which is my support system in case I have a relapse that is more serious. I would need to be near them, so I made the decision to pull back from the RCMP.
In the Edmonton Police Service, from what I've heard anyway, a certain group of people in human resources and in recruiting had the view that it was just a liability and that, according to the provincial standards, either I was completely disqualified or I wouldn't.... I think it was the doctor's decision that I wouldn't be able to handle the job for 25 years. That was what it was based on.
It was fascinating to me, because can you guarantee that anyone can handle or be...? What happens if you get hit by a bus? You're going to need certain supports. What if someone gets cancer? No one thinks twice about that. It's that idea that potentially I might need a little extra support at a certain time. I don't think they could comprehend it that way. It was seen as nothing but a liability.
I've heard since then that there are different people in recruiting and HR. It might be possible for me to get hired now, but at the same time I feel as if I would be looked at as if someone did me a favour, that I only got on because I was complaining. It would be a difficult place to work with people who don't want you to be there, whereas my current employer has tried their hardest to keep me where I am. I have moved on from the service. I work in policy around policing. I manage to still live out my dream in a different way.
I think it really depends on what understanding those who make the decisions have of episodic disability. One person might be more open, and another person might be totally closed to it.