ell2j
November 26th, 2006, 03:48 PM
I just finished today filling out my enlistment paperwork and medical prescreen for the National Guard and will be going to MEPS on December 2. I have a practically spotless medical history besides some minor surgery to correct a lazy eye that I had. My mental health history, however, is rather lengthy and I am afraid could disqualify me for service because I know with the Army that any mental health problems are an automatic disqualifier. I’m just looking for some answers even if it’s to tell me that I’m disqualified. I’m just worried with some of the information that I had to disclose. I know they look for honesty when filling out the paperwork so I left no stone unturned but I don’t want these problems in my past to adversely affect me.
Growing up I had a very chaotic and unstable home life with a lot of instances of domestic violence between my parents and family members. I naturally had trouble coping with this and was sent to several mental health professionals for counseling and treatment. This occurred from 8th grade to my junior year in high school. However, I never felt that treatment was very helpful because all they did was prescribe to me a slew of anti-depressant medications which I took infrequently and sporadically if at all because I felt that taking a pill wasn’t going to help my situation at home much less how I felt about it. These medications still show up on my medical records though even though I may not have been taking them. I was also admitted to a youth treatment facility for 5 – 6 days at the end of my freshman year of high school after a particularly violent night at home which left me with a lot of bruises and I felt that going anywhere would be safer than going home. During the time I was treated I was never diagnosed as bipolar or schizophrenic or anything and I had no suicidal ideations but any depression that I was treated or counseled for was situational and directly related to my unstable and often-times violent home life- not because of a chemical imbalance or deeper health issue. By my junior year all counseling and treatment was discontinued and any medication that I may have been prescribed, although not taking was also formally discontinued and I was given I guess what you could call a clean bill of mental health and have been medication and treatment free for almost 4 years.
I feel that my life has turned a corner since then and I have overcome the problems and issues of the past and am a stronger person because of it. I have since left home and am now in college and am living successfully making good grades and am enrolled in my university’s ROTC program. I’m sure you may have come across several of my other posts dealing with this.
I have talked with my recruiter about these issues although in not so much detail and he has said that I should be fine and the worst that could happen is I will need to get a waiver. My parents said that I should see no problems at all though. However, I’m afraid MEPS may see it differently and disqualify me. It would crush me to know that since I sought help through a particularly rough time in my life that I would be disqualified from serving my country. I really would like to make a career out of the military but after poring over these medical records I feel as if the odds are against me.
I’m not looking for any sympathy or well-wishing but facts and answers that will tell me about my qualification for service. Am I without hope in my journey to join the military or will I be able to receive a waiver for my mental health history?
Growing up I had a very chaotic and unstable home life with a lot of instances of domestic violence between my parents and family members. I naturally had trouble coping with this and was sent to several mental health professionals for counseling and treatment. This occurred from 8th grade to my junior year in high school. However, I never felt that treatment was very helpful because all they did was prescribe to me a slew of anti-depressant medications which I took infrequently and sporadically if at all because I felt that taking a pill wasn’t going to help my situation at home much less how I felt about it. These medications still show up on my medical records though even though I may not have been taking them. I was also admitted to a youth treatment facility for 5 – 6 days at the end of my freshman year of high school after a particularly violent night at home which left me with a lot of bruises and I felt that going anywhere would be safer than going home. During the time I was treated I was never diagnosed as bipolar or schizophrenic or anything and I had no suicidal ideations but any depression that I was treated or counseled for was situational and directly related to my unstable and often-times violent home life- not because of a chemical imbalance or deeper health issue. By my junior year all counseling and treatment was discontinued and any medication that I may have been prescribed, although not taking was also formally discontinued and I was given I guess what you could call a clean bill of mental health and have been medication and treatment free for almost 4 years.
I feel that my life has turned a corner since then and I have overcome the problems and issues of the past and am a stronger person because of it. I have since left home and am now in college and am living successfully making good grades and am enrolled in my university’s ROTC program. I’m sure you may have come across several of my other posts dealing with this.
I have talked with my recruiter about these issues although in not so much detail and he has said that I should be fine and the worst that could happen is I will need to get a waiver. My parents said that I should see no problems at all though. However, I’m afraid MEPS may see it differently and disqualify me. It would crush me to know that since I sought help through a particularly rough time in my life that I would be disqualified from serving my country. I really would like to make a career out of the military but after poring over these medical records I feel as if the odds are against me.
I’m not looking for any sympathy or well-wishing but facts and answers that will tell me about my qualification for service. Am I without hope in my journey to join the military or will I be able to receive a waiver for my mental health history?