The Skeleton In my Closet

[peterstick]

I've begun the application process for army officer.  I've dreamed of being in the army since I was a teenager watching Desert Storm.  Guns, tanks, and hand to hand combat.  I can't believe they might pay me to learn what I love.

Unfortunately I have a skeleton in my closet.  For much of my 20s I was severely depressed.  I was hospitalized several times in 1997, and then again in 2002 and briefly in 2006.  I wasn't able to work for much of this time, much less pursue my dream of combat arms.  Fortunately I did find solutions.  In 2001 I did extensive counselling.  I worked through my family of origin issues.  I was able to discontinue the antidepressants and tranquilizers. By 2002, my specialist said I no longer qualified as clinically depressed.  However I still suffered from an old family tradition: insomnia.  Eventually though I found a solution to that as well.  Fish oil and exercise, either alone or together, provided a gradual but very dramatic response.  Since mid -2006 I have successfully completed two semesters at university, and have worked full-time in between.  In spring of this year, I told my long-time specialist that I was gung-ho for the military.  She had no hesitation in writing a letter declaring me fit for service. 

Nonetheless, I am concerned that past medical history may disqualify me from my dream.  I would appreciate any insight or experience you may have on this matter.

Is the specialist's letter sufficient?  Or will past illness result in rejection?

-Pete

 

[George Wallace]

We have several topics that cover "Depression", "Antidepressants" (even by drug name), "Enrolment Medical", etc.  Try reading some of those for answers and suggestions.  In the end, everything will be decided by the Medical personnel after your Medical.  No one on this site can give you any professional medical decision or diagnosis.

 

[Navy_Blue]

I'll start by saying when I began the process to join in 97 I was on medication for ADD.  I passed all the tests and exams no problems until the medical.  At which point I was completely honest and said yes I was on Medication XXX for ADD that halted the medical and sent me into 6 month of proving my sanity.  Doctors, teachers, and politicians all confirming and supporting my claim that I was a hard working stable individual.  I basically had to prove to some Major MD in Toronto that I was not crazy.  After the 6 months of hard work and many phone calls they finally conceded I could serve as long as I didn't take those meds anymore.  Now fast forward to 2006 I go to the doctor on the base for an unrelated reason she notices on my file that in the past I had been on these meds and asked if I wanted to take them again.  I was on course and I found in High School it really help so I said yes and now I freely take them with no occupational restrictions.  

Now my wife tried to join the reserves in 2007.  She had taken anti depressants for post pardum depression.  They told her she was not suitable for service.  This completely demoralized her and made her feel she was some how chronically mentally ill.  She has since got doctors notes and as far as I can tell her application is going to move forward again after her physical is complete.

Its funny they will hold you back from joining for things like ADD meds and anti depressants but they wont hesitate to perscribe them once your in the forces.  

My recommendation to you is get as many references from doctors, university teachers and employers.  Show you are a stable hard working motivated person and hopfully you can continue the process and join the forces.   If after this they say stop your next step would be to contact your member of Parliament and get him in action.  Its most likely going to make you jump through more hoops than the average applicant but if its what you want its worth it.

Good luck.

 

[muffin]

  At which point I was completely honest and said yes I was on Medication XXX for ADD that halted the medical and sent me into 6 month of proving my sanity.  Doctors, teachers, and politicians all confirming and supporting my claim that I was a hard working stable individual.  I basically had to prove to some Major MD in Toronto that I was not crazy. 

I have never heard of someone with ADD or AD/HD being referred to as "crazy" or "insane".

 

[Hogie]

The medical standards are in place for a reason, please do not be personally insulted if you think you are fit but they tell you that according to their standards, you are not.  The medics are thinking long-term- if you get deployed to Afghanistan and your depression flares up again, for example.  It is not that they think you are crazy.  Harsh as it sounds, it is not your right to be enrolled because you think you are fit, and they are not being "mean."  All you can do is patiently go through the medical process, and if you are declared totally unfit, there is a reason.  Good luck with your application, I do hope it works out for you.

 

[Navy_Blue]

I should have used the words "stable."  They implied that without medication I would have been unstable, unreliable and possibly a liability.  They treated me like I was mentally unstable it wasn't a nice feeling.  I however did know differently defended myself, joined and proved for almost 10 years I could function to the highest standards (at which point they offered the drugs to me again).  I now notice a real difference and feel I preform even better.  They make me very focused and give me an almost robotic need to complete tasks which I appreciate. 

The depression issue is slightly different but it can happen to us all.  We for the most part deny having it and function and carry on with it.  I know The CF will treat its personnel with the same treatments they deny people who are applicants.  I have seen people deployed on ship with anti depressants.  If a medical professional can say that a person with a history of depression has been treated and no longer requires medication I think the CF should have no problems with them.  I think a few extra hoops might be merited but they should not just be a blanket "your unfit".

Imagine if they kicked out every CF woman who has a kid and gets post pardom?  If we go on the recruiters logic these people should never be able to be deployed again.  Likewise for any other member of the CF who in there time in have been treated with meds for depression. 

We need people and I know the CFRC's see allot of weird and wonderful people everyday but there are some diamonds in the rough that get missed.  We need all the diamonds we can get these days and a little extra work to find them will pay off. 

 

[Milhouser911]

I can see the logic behind it, re: claiming that requiring medication makes you unfit, but once you're in, they can proscribe it to you.

It's simply the CF, as a full-benifits employer, insulating itself from people with pre-existing conditions, and paying associated medical costs.  They can (right or wrongly) deny someone admission into the CF because of a condition, but to kick someone out because of a condition that appeared during service would be a big no-no.

I'd be curious to know if anyone has joined the CF with (for example,) a history of depression and antidepressants, and then then had future symptoms of potential PTSD or depression ignored/written off as nothing to worry about... I don't mean to imply anything about CF medical staff or procedures, just wondering about the potential to end up in a poor situation because of your history.

-Scott

 

[Blindspot]

During my application process, I was seeing a doctor who put me on an SSRI (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) for mild anxiety and I admitted so during my medical. A couple months later, I received the dreaded "non- deployable" letter. The letter also said to try again after six months medication free. As required, my doctor wrote a letter on my behalf proclaiming stellar mental health. Second medical, I admitted to regularly seeing my doctor for routine support. Another "non-deployable" letter arrived after a few months. Crazy as it sounds, I had to procure a second letter from my doctor saying exactly the same thing as the first plus "Blindspot only sees me for routine support".

I then found out after all of this, only through my own contacts, that my eyesight wasn't good enough. Why the RMO couldn't have indicated all my deficiencies up front so that it all could have been dealt with promptly I don't know.

The moral of the story is: Tell the truth always but make sure the RMO tells you all your deficiencies up front, and if letters from doctors are required, ask exactly what the doctor should indicate to be considered "deployable". Otherwise you could end up being in limbo for 3+ years and paying hundreds more than you should.

 

[FastEddy]

During my application process, I was seeing a doctor who put me on an SSRI (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) for mild anxiety and I admitted so during my medical. A couple months later, I received the dreaded "non- deployable" letter. The letter also said to try again after six months medication free. As required, my doctor wrote a letter on my behalf proclaiming stellar mental health. Second medical, I admitted to regularly seeing my doctor for routine support. Another "non-deployable" letter arrived after a few months. Crazy as it sounds, I had to procure a second letter from my doctor saying exactly the same thing as the first plus "Blindspot only sees me for routine support".

I then found out after all of this, only through my own contacts, that my eyesight wasn't good enough. Why the RMO couldn't have indicated all my deficiencies up front so that it all could have been dealt with promptly I don't know.

The moral of the story is: Tell the truth always but make sure the RMO tells you all your deficiencies up front, and if letters from doctors are required, ask exactly what the doctor should indicate to be considered "deployable". Otherwise you could end up being in limbo for 3+ years and paying hundreds more than you should.

Don't worry Blindspot, as soon as we get Suicide Bombers overhere or WW III they'll be begging you to join.

You wanted to and tried to, thats what really counts, good for you.

Cheers.

 

[Blindspot]

Don't worry Blindspot, as soon as we get Suicide Bombers overhere or WW III they'll be begging you to join.

You wanted to and tried to, thats what really counts, good for you.

Cheers.

Hey, I'm not done yet! I got my eyes zapped a year ago and I go in for my PT test next week. I'm going to get in despite the arduous (in my case) process. Numquam cede, numquam succumbe.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

As was already stated in the first response, we can't diagnose medical problems or second guess the response of the CFRC medical pers. The subject has also been covered extensively elsewhere on the boards and there is no reason to make search queries more difficult by starting another thread for the web to follow.

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Milnet.ca Staff