Army + psychosis is like pouring gasoline on a fire and trying to get away with just singing the hairs on your arm rather than just going to hospital!
I was in the army reserves pre becoming unwell and was a stress factor as part of my illness, but it didn’t push me over the edge!
I think it would be irresponsible to try and re join, what if you put a squad mate in danger or you what if you were tripping on a live fire exercise, could you live with yourself? Which is why I don’t even own a bb gun or anything other than kitchen knifes… I binned everything else.
Though I cant reenlist, due to medical records & I probably have a black mark on my file.
Well, come on all of you, big strong men
Uncle Sam needs your help again
He’s got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Vietnam
So put down your books and pick up a gun
We’re gonna have a whole lotta fun
I was in the Marine Corp about 10 years before sz. If you have a tendency towards sz and have few symptoms. I’m sure the pressure you are put under will most be likely push you into phycocis. Not a good idea to lie about it,. It’s not a game people could die.
Yeah don’t ask don’t tell isn’t for mental illness. Military does thorough background checks. If you lie they will find out…even if you pay for all mental healthcare privately and somehow they don’t find your past records, if they find out at any point you can be dishonorably discharged on the spot.
But schizophrenia is in a category of it’s own. I really, really question if anyone with schizophrenia can handle the rigors and mandatory structure of military service. I couldn’t see a schizophrenia being able to consistency handle the rigors of being stationed for active duty i.e. battle. I am surprised and amazed by what fellow schizophrenics can accomplish professionally and as mothers and fathers. But being shot at is a little different than what 90% of schizophrenics face. Combat is very stressful and in the heat of battle, in constant life and death situations, there’s a lot going on that you don’t have the time to sit and analyze what’s going on. The deprivation and stress of active duty and having to make split second decisions with others depending on you for their lives might overwhelm the average schizophrenia. This is just my opinion though others might share it.
I try to be positive but several times in several years I have questioned fellow schizophrenics ability to take on challenging undertakings in the work field. But they tried anyways and some made it. Good for them. So maybe I’m wrong about this military thing. But it seems like common sense that full actual battle is beyond the average schizophrenics capability’s. My instincts tell me this too.
I would guess that anyone who has a SERIOUS mental illness and somehow gets accepted by any branch of the service would eventually be found out. Mental illness is a medical problem and the armed forces want to know as much as possible what they are getting when they sign someone up. If a person is on medication, they want to know. And deceiving the army, navy, air force, or marines about a disabling condition is a serious matter. By the way, I believe they either have abandoned the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy or they are getting ready too.
Being in the service often means packing up and leaving your surroundings with very little notice and maybe flying across the country to a new base where you are a complete stranger to the people there and they are strangers to you. Not an easy task. But its reality.
You’re going to do what you want to do but I am just giving you something to think about. I wish you the best in any endeavor you try and I would like you to prove me wrong and succeed but everybody on the planet has limitations.
