The Depression / Anti Depressants Merged Thread

[davidsonr_91]

Well,
the rest of my story is just a few threads above this. to continue on I got my shrink to write a letter about me seeing him and taking my medication faithfully.  He aso recommended me to the CF and also mentioned that he is aware that I want to be a police officer.  I dropped my letter from the shrink to the med officer/sarg and he didn't have anything to say abou it but that ottawa will get my file, look it over and make a decision.  I have another week and a half to two weeks to find out.  I have been anti depressant free since last dec so 9 months now.  I know there isn't much i can do but not sure what the next step is after this.

Thanks
Rob

 

[davidsonr_91]

Today finally got my long awaited letter from Ottawa stating I am medically unfit after a got the second opinion from my dr who stated in the letter to med that he recommends me and that I am at low risk of my depression returning because of my coping skills but still received the letter stating that im unfit and so on.  Which I don't think I have any more options left for this but if anyone has any ideas i'm quite open to them as this is quite a discouraging thing.

Thanks much

Rob

 

[kincanucks]

Sorry it didn't work out for you.  Good Luck in your future endeavors.

 

[the 48th regulator]

Sorry it didn't work out for you.  Good Luck in your future endeavors.

I concur.

You may want to look at this angle in supporting Canada

http://jobs-emplois.gc.ca/

dileas

tess

 

[Smitty1690]

Today finally got my long awaited letter from Ottawa stating I am medically unfit after a got the second opinion from my dr who stated in the letter to med that he recommends me and that I am at low risk of my depression returning because of my coping skills but still received the letter stating that im unfit and so on.  Which I don't think I have any more options left for this but if anyone has any ideas i'm quite open to them as this is quite a discouraging thing.

I'm in a similar situation, and just got my letter yesterday. It seems that the military won't let you serve with a past episode of depression, but allows current members suffering from depression (likely developed after enrollement) to stay enlisted. I guess the best advice would be; just lie.

 

[George Wallace]

I guess the best advice would be; just lie.

BRILLIANT ADVICE!

What kind of idiot would give such advice, on an open forum.  If you want to really be kicked out of the CF, DISHONOURABLY, that is one of the best ways of doing it and it will affect many future job applications you may try to make.  Absolutely brilliant.

Don't lie.   You will only get caught................Both of you.

 

[medicineman]

I'm in a similar situation, and just got my letter yesterday. It seems that the military won't let you serve with a past episode of depression, but allows current members suffering from depression (likely developed after enrollement) to stay enlisted. I guess the best advice would be; just lie.

Bad advice - if you get caught lying (and most people do), you won't be doing a real happy dance when you're no longer with us and you find a black mark against your name as having lied on a job application medical - might find a hard time getting a civil service job, applying for insurance, all sorts of stuff like that.  It will come back to haunt you.

Best advice is this - it's not personal (though it seems like it sometimes), it's just business, so be honest.  BTW, more often than not, there is something else going on we're not hearing here, so be careful about counselling people to commit an offence under the National Defence Act.  

MM

 

[PMedMoe]

What occurs (medically) with someone after they have already enrolled and what medical conditions they have before enrollment are two entirely different things.

It would be great if the medical services could have a big crystal ball so that they wouldn't enroll anyone who might eventually develop a medical condition while already serving. 

While you're lying about your medical condition, why not lie about your credit/employment/education too?  :

 

[kincanucks]

I'm in a similar situation, and just got my letter yesterday. It seems that the military won't let you serve with a past episode of depression, but allows current members suffering from depression (likely developed after enrollement) to stay enlisted. I guess the best advice would be; just lie.

Ban this person as their limited usefullness has come to an end.

 

[Niteshade]

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to plainly see this guy is pissed about his letter and giving his angle. Ill-advised yes, but it is his opinion.

From what I am seeing (and I do not profess to be an expert on this subject, nor even close to a feeble novice):

If you have depression: speak to your doctor and get help. Work through your problem and get off the meds and phychotherapy. It is also reasonable to say that you should have been clean and clear of any problems, any form of treatment whatsoever, and clear of meds for a number of years.

Then when you apply, you divulge that yes, you did have a problem. They will send you to your doc with a letter. Then your doc (knowing you are in such good mental health), fills out the letter honestly and truthfully saying your in great shape mentally and endorses you.

You take letter the medical staff and run the gambit. If they see you are fit, you get in (which may be likely). If you are unfit (which may also be likely) you do not.

You can always re-apply after another bunch of years of "non-treatment" have elapsed further proving your mental stability.

My take on it all.

Nites

 

[Smitty1690]

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to plainly see this guy is pissed about his letter and giving his angle. Ill-advised yes, but it is his opinion.

Yes definetely a frustrated if not slightly sarcastic remark..just thinking that had I not received any help, I would not have been medically rejected. Double edged sword...

Ban this person as their limited usefullness has come to an end.

Thanks for turning a simple frustration into a witch-hunt. I should be allowed to freely type up my non-disrespectful thoughts without being banned. And what part of you is even remotely qualified to be the judge of my usefullness kinkanucks? Thanks for the respectful and professional comment.

Well now I have something for the <a href="http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/76543.0.html"> Whats the dumbest thing you heard said today</a> thread.

again...

 

[WannaBeFlyer]

Think about the potential impact that a comments such as "I guess the best advice would be; just lie" may have on this forum. Look at how many times this thread has been viewed. 12479 times and counting! A lot of people who really want to be in the CF may be in similar if not identical situations and looking for answers on this forum. After reading that you were declined for being honest about your previous condition, they may follow your advice, cover up their conditions and squeak in. Your issue may not be or have been serious, but there's may well be. I, and all of the CF I am sure, do not want to learn about their conditions at a time when we need them most.

The CF has set these standards in place for a reason and you have to accept that. Personally, if I disagreed with their decision, I would contact the recruiting centre to see if there was anything I could do. Others have done it and you can read the various posts on that very subject. Sounding off on a forum filled with your peers and those who may be handling your file is not going to change anything.

 

[JDA]

I find it absolutely ridiculous to deny access to the military for depression. Everyone has been depressed. Its the same thing as being down. That happens when your not doing anything. When you get inward and blame yourself. When people say "He's depressed" what are they essentially saying? Its simply ignorance. Not understanding the persons situation. If a person has the right to be angry. How can they not have the right to feel hurt. The people who deny ever having depression aren't listening. WHO HASN'T COME TO A POINT IN THEIR LIFE WHEN THEY NEEDED HELP? Noone. So if your going to call someone depressed because they weren't helped.
Please if you post like you haven't had depression then your part of the denial. The only reason depression is now treatable is so the gov can make money off it. Antidepressants actually make you worse. Amazing how depression all the sudden became global. It used to just be stop complaining. The disease is the antidepressants. Ignorance

 

[PMedMoe]

The only reason depression is now treatable is so the gov can make money off it. Antidepressants actually make you worse.

.........and antibiotics won't help an infection either.......  :

 

[the_girlfirend]

Antidepressants actually make you worse.

Mental diseases are very common, I think that a lot of people suffer from them. They just don't know how to call it, and not everybody will think about seeing a doctor about it.

But medicine is a science and from a scientist point of view... if you are sick it is because there is something in your body that is not doing his job properly.
Scientists found a way to improve the general well being of depressed people, and this is why doctors prescribe antidepressants.

I understand that some people may have had bad experiences with antidepressants, (I hate anti inflammatories ), but still this kind of drug is a life saver for others.

Yes it is hard to be turned down by the CF when you know that you can do a good job, but I think everybody has a chance to prove them wrong, in this case I think that taking a year to work on yourself and improve your resume, your experience and come back in a year with a stronger application and a year proof of mental health... is the best thing to do... the journey will only make you stronger. (I assumed that people are allowed to reapply after a year, please correct me if I am wrong, or if it depends on the case)

 

[JDA]

Mental diseases are very common, I think that a lot of people suffer from them. They just don't know how to call it, and not everybody will think about seeing a doctor about it.

But medicine is a science and from a scientist point of view... if you are sick it is because there is something in your body that is not doing his job properly.
Scientists found a way to improve the general well being of depressed people, and this is why doctors prescribe antidepressants.

I understand that some people may have had bad experiences with antidepressants, (I hate anti inflammatories ), but still this kind of drug is a life saver for others.

Yes it is hard to be turned down by the CF when you know that you can do a good job, but I think everybody has a chance to prove them wrong, in this case I think that taking a year to work on yourself and improve your resume, your experience and come back in a year with a stronger application and a year proof of mental health... is the best thing to do... the journey will only make you stronger. (I assumed that people are allowed to reapply after a year, please correct me if I am wrong, or if it depends on the case)

well most diseases you can cure but when you get into mental illness as its called its not something that can be cured but rather somehting that your told is incurable and always takes alot of time and money to reach the mental stability someone else says you need to have. Now if someone is suicidal they need help, if someone is violent has a history they need correction. If someone isn't careful and simply goes through a rough time and has negative thoughts goes into a psychiatrist or doctor they can be led to beleive things are such a way that it can make them more unstable. If someone has negative thoughts a physchiatrist actually calls those voices in your head.  Im not embarassed about my story cause its actually not all that uncommon. Again i haven't received back my medical from ottawa and my doctor is filling everything out and im sure i'll be accepted but the process is frustrating for someone who has no mental illness and tried antidrepressants just to see if they would help(make me feel better). Yet never continued for more than a month due to no improvement. It can be very frustrating when  I went in on my own volition just cause I thought hey this might help me. Again i am confident the acceptance will be. But the process is darn near hectic.
Heck when I went in there the guy doing the medical exam looked in my eyes and started going off saying i was on drugs yet i've been clean for 10 years so its not as stable and well done with the right people as you portray. Its actually very disorderly. People in the army generally tend to think they are better. But I haven't seen that in peoples character.

 

[GAP]

You are thinking about yourself and what you want.....

Try thinking about the CF....

If anything happened (irrespective of what and when) and the media picked up on the previous history of depression then the entire CF gets tagged as hiring psychotic nuts. It isn't true in anyway what so ever, no matter which way you stretch it, but that has never stopped the MSM and the opponents of the CF from making wildass claims

It's kinda like the question "have you stopped beating your wife and kids?"  Try to defend that response......you lose, no matter what you say....

 

[the_girlfirend]

Unfortunately not evey mentally unstable person is diagnosed, and mental illness is very common.
Being in the forces is a source of stress and any unstable person will eventually have to deal with stress/anxiety/depression.
I understand that the CF is careful in hiering people with a diagnosed mental illness, because of the consequences it could have on the operations and security of the troops.
But if ones care about the imagine the CF is projecting, well, I am affraid wierd things will always happen... nobody has a tatoo psycho on the forehead, and there will always be a dumdum to do stupid things, we all know one  ;D

My point is, an intelligent human being with a known mental illness, can be more stable than an other intelligent human being with an unknown mental illness.
Because we know our limits, our reactions, our problems and we keep a balanced life and block the negative energy before it grows. We have been there, we have been down, we know how to get back up... it is a form of strenght that should be considered as maturity...

My 2 cents

 

[PMedMoe]

I find it absolutely ridiculous to deny access to the military for depression.

For one episode of depression?  Yes.  For a diagnosed mental illness?  No.

I, too, have been on anti-depressants, while serving.  I also found they did not help.  Perhaps a change as to what type of medication I was taking would have been beneficial.  I found St. John's wort worked quite well.  However, I was on medications for a single episode of stress.  People who need medication long-term or for the rest of their lives are likely going to be medically released.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

JDA,

First thing, you have to do is stop defending your depressed positon. Then you have to go read all the guidelines for this forum that you originally agreed to do when you clicked the box (without reading them) and start following them.

Lastly, you have to take control of your life and quit blaming everyone, and everything, for your outcomes and actions.

In between, you're preaching to the choir here. Lots have 'Been there, done that" and have more of an excuse for their feelings than some jam tart of a school teacher, or a dick weed of a boss, or some school kid that didn't make the football team, even after his dad even paid the coach.

Many of us have had real world situations that have caused us to define ourselves
I suggest you do the same. You sound like you need a dose of real world reality, and soul searching, to sort your sorry ass out.

Please don't try join, and say you're going to cover my beautiful buttocks until you have your own mental house in order.

I don't know if it's spiritual, chemical or mental. All I know is that unless your condition turns you into a Norse berzerker, I don't want you anywhere me or mine, while we follow the direction of our government and carry out our mandate.

And you're in great position to stop complaining and do something about it, or waste and watch while your mind turns to mush, or go get help.

We can't do that here. We're not Dr Phil. Leave us alone until you get your shit sorted.