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U.S. Military service and psychiatric conditions

Posted by mattdds on February 1, 2005, at 3:18:34

In reply to Re: Are medications permitted in United States Army, posted by banga on February 1, 2005, at 1:50:07

Hi there,

To answer your question briefly, yes, you can take many medications in the US Military. For example, I take clonazepam, and am in the US Army. Recently, I've been considering taking up another medication as well, and my military p-doc (mp-doc?) is okay with it.

You have far more to consider than just that though with your condition (sorry, but I'm not sure of your diagnosis).

First, make no mistake, joining the military is an *enormous* committment! Please read that sentence twice.

I commissioned as an officer, and had to go to officer basic course (OBC). OBC, compared to enlisted basic training is a joke, from what I hear from my enlisted friends. It is so demanding, and the sergeants *will* intentionally put you under enormous mental stress. For the mentally healthy, this can build character. For someone who has a very active psychiatric condition, it could spell disaster. Keep in mind these drill sergeants do not care about or much less understand your condition. They are there to train you to fight, and that's about it!

When I went through OBC (much easier than enlisted basic training), I remember thinking there would have been no way to handle the stress when I was at my worst. Fortunately, I was stabilized by the time I got to OBC. Otherwise, I would NOT have made it!

Life doesn't get too much easier after basic, especially for enlisted soldiers. Expect to be waking up at 0500 every day, doing intense physical training daily (even as an enlisted legal specialist), doing heavy training for your MOS (job specialty), and going through constant change. Don't forget, we are at war. A deployment to the middle east (probably Iraq) is extremely likely at this point. No job in the military is excluded from deployments, and I have friends (dentists) that are in Iraq.

I'm a dentist for the military, so it's a bit easier. The dental corps is pretty laid back. But still, it would be very difficult were I not stabilized.

Another consideration. Take everything your recruiter says with a very large grain of salt. They are there to get people to sign on the dotted line, and are notorious for being deceptive! They will say almost anything (lies included) to get you to sign that paper! Beware!

Be upfront about everything! Give your diagnosis, your medications...everything. The military will likely accept you if you have an anxiety or depressive disorder, provided that it will not interfere with your work. Some diagnoses *will* preclude you from the military, namely bipolar and schizophrenia. If you conceal these when you enlist, and it later comes to light, you could face pretty serious punishment, including time in a military jail - not a good time!

Please take all these into consideration. I think military service can be very rewarding. But it can be a nightmare if you are not in the right mental condition.

Best of luck!

M


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Psycho-Babble Medication | Framed

poster:mattdds thread:450757
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050128/msgs/450898.html