# Military?



## d45 (Jul 21, 2011)

Hi, I have been dealing with SAD like symptoms since I was about 10. I saw a counselor(i think that's what her title was) for the past 4 or so years after having to drop from highschool from it consuming me. At times I was at high dosages just to feel it working. I have since stopped seeing her and am not on any medication. I am doing stuff I have never thought I would ever do, but I still don't believe to be 100% and most days I'm fine with the exception of 1 or 2 a month.

However, I really really really want to join the military. I know the military doesn't allow you to join if you were diagnosed with SAD, but I was technically never diagnosed by anyone, just given that type of medicine. I can't see myself not following my dream but I was concerned it might exacerbate any symptoms I have lingering.


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## Krikorian (May 16, 2011)

Why not join the Peace Corps or something that does _some_ good in the world? At least then you wouldn't be an accomplice to mass murder.


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## d45 (Jul 21, 2011)

Krikorian said:


> Why not join the Peace Corps or something that does _some_ good in the world? At least then you wouldn't be an accomplice to mass murder.


Apparently you have something against protecting your freedom. Be that as it may, please don't troll my thread.


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## 266x (Jun 30, 2011)

Well there's no harm in trying right? Just don't make it your only goal, have a back up.


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## jkquatre (May 30, 2011)

^Thank you. I really hate when our men and women in uniform are discriminated against. They risk their lives for the freedoms everyone enjoys the least you can do is show some respect.

I recall talking to a former ROTC cadet and he had told me that he had to get a waiver because he received some psychiatric help in the past. It didn't seem polite to ask what for, but I would suggest asking a recruiter on the army website. I think they might have some chat if they are anything like the airforce (where I wanted to enlist).

Either way good luck, if this is what you feel you need to do don't let people stop you.


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## SPC (May 14, 2011)

i am in the army and currently in afghanistan for the second time. me and perhaps others here with the right experience will tell you that the active duty military is NOT a good place to be for SA sufferers unless you welcome the idea of extreme exposure therapy. forget about deployments to foreign countries, just going through basic training and other training will destroy your comfort zone and you have to learn to cope quickly or else you wont make it. also, you will be forced to work with people you dont like 24/7 and your personal and professional life will eventually meld into the same thing. if you have other goals and dreams in life that would be less of a shock to your system you may want to explore those first. however, if the military is your only dream, i still encourage you to try. if you feel like youre stuck at a place you dont want to be in life and you need something drastic to give you hope for a better future, i definately encourage you to look into it. just be prepared because it might not work out the way you wanted it to.



Krikorian said:


> Why not join the Peace Corps or something that does _some_ good in the world? At least then you wouldn't be an accomplice to mass murder.


if anyones ever bought anything made in China theyre likely an accomplice to mass murder. if you support female reproductive rights some would argue you could be an accomplice to mass murder. i, for one, try to stay away from projecting my moral judgements onto others with such a broad and uneducated brush.


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## Krikorian (May 16, 2011)

d45 said:


> Apparently you have something against protecting your freedom.


That's a howler. You're getting paid to shoot whomever the government wants you to shoot so you can collect a paycheck and some benefits. My freedom has nothing to do with the actions of hired hitmen.

To get back to the OP, you should ask a recruiter.



jkqatre said:


> Thank you. I really hate when our men and women in uniform are discriminated against. They risk their lives for the freedoms everyone enjoys the least you can do is show some respect.


But I have no respect to show.



SPC said:


> if anyones ever bought anything made in China theyre likely an accomplice to mass murder. if you support female reproductive rights some would argue you could be an accomplice to mass murder.


These things I don't deny. But most people try to avoid contributing to the suffering and/or deaths of other people. Our "men and women in uniform" leap at the opportunity. After all, they get GI benefits for it. Other people's lives are always worth a free education, right?



> i, for one, try to stay away from projecting my moral judgements onto others with such a broad and uneducated brush.


My only judgment is that anyone who hires himself out to kill or otherwise contribute to the death of people, however ethical or unethical his orders may be, doesn't deserve my sympathy or respect. I don't respect hitmen or mafiosos either, so there you have it.


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## SPC (May 14, 2011)

@ Krikorian - why would you make the assumption that military members leap at the oppurtunity to cause people harm and suffering? the spectrum of military operations worldwide emcompasses a lot of aid and developmental work, and even in afghanistan the majority of our operations are non-lethal. thats the reason why almost 100,000 servicepersons in afghanistan, becuase non-lethal operations takes much more manpower than lethal ones. you are entitled to your opinion, and your sympathy and respect is certainly yours to give to whomever you like. i just wanted to voice my opinion on your judgement of my profession because i feel like youre mischaracterizing servicemembers.


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## Owl Eyes (May 23, 2011)

Personally, I think the military is a great idea, especially for someone with sa. I was thinking about joining the navy or the air force. I think that it would be good in the sense that it will give you something to do, toughen you up, enhance your chances of getting a job in the future, etc.


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## Krikorian (May 16, 2011)

SPC said:


> @ Krikorian - why would you make the assumption that military members leap at the oppurtunity to cause people harm and suffering? the spectrum of military operations worldwide emcompasses a lot of aid and developmental work, and even in afghanistan the majority of our operations are non-lethal. thats the reason why almost 100,000 servicepersons in afghanistan, becuase non-lethal operations takes much more manpower than lethal ones. you are entitled to your opinion, and your sympathy and respect is certainly yours to give to whomever you like. i just wanted to voice my opinion on your judgement of my profession because i feel like youre mischaracterizing servicemembers.


The military doesn't give aid because they want to improve anyone's lives. They give humanitarian aid for purely strategic purposes. If the aid were not in some way a political/military asset, the military simply would not do it. Why do you think so many independent relief organizations _refuse_ to work with the U.S. military? The military gives aid because that gives it the most control over resources, and it looks good in newspapers; beyond that, they don't care how well or how poorly those resources are managed or how many are helped or harmed.

Lethal or non-lethal, with about 100,000 soldiers, we have 1 civilian death or injury in Afghanistan per 4 soldiers, not to mention the American soldiers themselves who are killed, maimed, or otherwise injured.

With that said, I want to phrase this very carefully: I am not out to say that everyone in the military is a bad or violent person. You, for example, don't strike me as a very violent person. But, to a certain degree, that is what concerns me - it's almost like convincing yourself that it's worth being in a violent street gang because the boss gives you money for gas to drive your grandmother to church on Sundays.


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## d45 (Jul 21, 2011)

SPC said:


> i am in the army and currently in afghanistan for the second time. me and perhaps others here with the right experience will tell you that the active duty military is NOT a good place to be for SA sufferers unless you welcome the idea of extreme exposure therapy. forget about deployments to foreign countries, just going through basic training and other training will destroy your comfort zone and you have to learn to cope quickly or else you wont make it. also, you will be forced to work with people you dont like 24/7 and your personal and professional life will eventually meld into the same thing. if you have other goals and dreams in life that would be less of a shock to your system you may want to explore those first. however, if the military is your only dream, i still encourage you to try. if you feel like youre stuck at a place you dont want to be in life and you need something drastic to give you hope for a better future, i definately encourage you to look into it. just be prepared because it might not work out the way you wanted it to.
> 
> if anyones ever bought anything made in China theyre likely an accomplice to mass murder. if you support female reproductive rights some would argue you could be an accomplice to mass murder. i, for one, try to stay away from projecting my moral judgements onto others with such a broad and uneducated brush.


My primary interest is in the Reserves or National Guard, would your statements stay the same?


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

****Thread Lock Watch****
This post was supposed to be support in was to help the OP, not send activism.


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## SPC (May 14, 2011)

d45 said:


> My primary interest is in the Reserves or National Guard, would your statements stay the same?


that depends on what MOS you choose. due to the current nature of american politics youre most likely going to be called up for a deployment at least once during your time in the reserves/guard. obviously the 24/7 deal wont apply if youre a guardsman or reservist but at the same time if youre not active you dont get a lot of the post-deployment benefits and/or camaraderie with your peers that an active duty soldier gets. so it would come down to the MOS you train for and how well it translates to the civilian sector, balance those pros with the cons ive mentioned before. and remember when youre called up, the expectations of you are the same of any normal soldier regardless of whatever sa-related hindrances you may encounter.


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## ILFactotum (Jul 30, 2011)

Bro, don't throw your life away to get your *** shot off. Seriously. You can recover from your personal issues, but going to war and losing a limb or two or three is something that you'll never get back...

I just visited my uncle in Temecula in a neighborhood and his neighbors were mostly in the military. They can't light fireworks on the 4th, not because it's illegal (because everyone lights them in my town anyways), but out of respect and humanity for the fact that many of the people there suffer from such bad PTSD that they can't stand to here any loud pop or thud without sever psychological repercussions.

At the very best, you'll come out unscathed without any trauma and maybe some cash left over from your service. I remember seeing true footage from a combat hospital that used to air awhile back and boy it ain't pretty. I bet that those young men with their entire lives ahead of them wish that they had never joined.

I have NO DISRESPECT to those who serve in our military. Let's not be political here because this is a serious decision that will change your life forever. Whether or not we support the war going on now is kind of off topic. Just examine what this will do to your life with the utmost scrutiny...even if you're in the national guard or reserve, like the other person said, it wouldn't be ordinary in this day and age to be called for deployment...


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## Kennnie (Oct 21, 2010)

millenniumman75 said:


> ****Thread Lock Watch****
> This post was supposed to be support in was to help the OP, not send activism.


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## Hiccups (Jul 15, 2011)

It's great that you want to help your country etc but it's great to do plenty of research .. both sides to know what you're getting yourself into! I hope you do well with whatever you decide!


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## im Lost (Dec 4, 2010)

the military doesnt let you join if you have social anxiety? dont they have counselors for that? noooooo how else am i suppose to follow my dream.


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## Aarmin (Feb 27, 2011)

Ben there done that, and don't regret it. Everyone is different so I can't say you should or shouldn't go for it. You said you really really want to join, so that says a lot.

Keep this in mind, its not just the "military"; every branch and occupation specialty within that branch will give you a different experience. 

The last two times I talked about the military on here I felt like I was ignored, so to save myself the embarrassment and frustrations... if you have any particular questions or concerns I'm here 

Corporal (Cpl) - USMC 2004 - 2009


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## squidd (Feb 10, 2012)

Krikorian said:


> Why not join the Peace Corps or something that does _some_ good in the world? At least then you wouldn't be an accomplice to mass murder.


 I hold similar views to you dude, but come on that ****'s not cool here. No one ever changed anyone elses mind by belittling them, or their dreams for that matter.
D45 My personal politics aside, if that's your dream and you have a chance at it then go for it with everything you have, no one else has a valid opinion about what you do with your life. Just make sure you do your reasearch and know exactly what you're getting into.


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## squall78 (Feb 17, 2012)

From what I'm seeing the retention in the military is at it's highest with the wars ending and the economy the way it is. It's really hard to get waivers based on your situation (medications) because I think it could be a disqualifier. Which branch are you looking to join? 

As far as therapy and counseling if you can explain it it shouldn't be a problem. I just enlisted and at MEPS I had to explain why I saw a psychiatrist when it was regarding my parents getting divorced. I was issued anti-depressants (not for my parent's divorce, but I had SAD tendencies before) but still got in.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

interesting discussion


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## Jeffrey91 (Dec 22, 2011)

Depends on what they find during MEPS, and if you can get a waiver. However nowadays waivers are hard to come by. You can join the National Guard, than request to go active duty within a year. It's so much easier to get a waiver with NG.

Also have you chosen what MOS you want to be? I was a 11B1P (airborne infantry) for 3 years attached with the 173rd Airborne 1st BCT. I would suggest joining the infantry so you can earn your CIB, then you can reclass to any other MOS that's open.


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