I am a 20 year member and I was never educated on PTSD. I did not know what the symptoms were or what to do if I saw these symptoms. I was suffering from PTSD and didn’t know it. I thought what I was experiencing was only normal after all I had dealt with and I expected the symptoms to eventually go away. But they didn’t. Instead they kept getting worse until I finally crashed. Finally, on the advice of a friend who knew about PTSD, he suggested I see a doctor. I was subsequently diagnosed with severe PTSD. But the RCMP was in no way involved in me seeking help, nor did they accommodate me when I needed it during my healing process. As a matter of fact they were planning on putting me back in active uniformed duty asap, before my treatment was even finished. Had the RCMP been proactive in such a case as mine, they would have saved me and themselves a lot of headaches. PTSD is an Occupational Stressor Injury which means it is a work-related injury. That means our EMPLOYER is RESPONSIBLE, Period. They need to take responsibility for this and be accountable to their employees. After all, they preach responsibility and accountability in their core values. Name withheld upon request
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 21:51:50 +0000