I have been working with animals for 15 years. It has been my entire adult life until now. I started as a veterinary assistant at 19 and worked my way up to my dream job of managing a shelter. For reasons that are unclear, I was pulled into an investigation (I work for the local police dept) regarding a couple of benign mistakes I made and the claim was made that I am "mentally incompetent". The mistakes weren't even mine really. It was two employees who goofed up a job. No one was injured, no animals suffered for it, but I have been made a patsy or something. I was lied to when I met with my boss and told IA had been called and it would save me a lot of trouble if I just resigned. I could "preserve" my references. I later found out that doing that isn't permitted. You can't push someone to resign their job out of fear of consequences and that no one had called IA, my boss did it the day after our conversation. But here I am anyway. Working in another dept for the police awaiting a decision on my employment status, which is nil, since I won't go back there after what has happened. My boss knew I have BP because I disclosed it in the background check. I know I wasn't symptomatic at the time. I was doing really really well after a couple of years of hell. I was very well liked there. My employees were so happy I came on they told me they wish I had shown up five years ago. One decided to come on full time after working part time for a few years because I would be his manager. When I left I got several emails from volunteers and employees trying to figure out what happened. Many volunteers have left for other shelters because I don't work there anymore. I felt at home, like I finally found where I was supposed to be after all these years.

I have no idea what to do. I have no current references and they have smeared my name at the other shelters. My purpose in life is gone. It wasn't just a job, this has been my life and my community, and I have been exiled. I cant go to events, work for a reacue or anything because i would have to be involved with them. I dont think I have the guts to do that. I am still getting a paycheck for the moment, which is great, but it will end any day now. I will lose my insurance and I feel like I am close to breaking because of this. I want to get help. I feel like I should go to the ER, but I can't stand proving them right. So here I am. Stuck. I know this was long, but I needed to get it out.