Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 5/14/2010

Question
QUESTION: I had a troubled family experience growing up.  I can leave it at that for the most part your not looking for a sob story.  In any case growing up I was diagnosed with everything under the sun until at around age 8 I was daignosed with bipolar.   I went from doctor to doctor.. Usually psychiatrists (whichever are the ones that just do the medication)   I had past experiances where some doctors even thought I did not have anything at all except for some adhd and that the meds were pushed on me.

I had an experience where my parents took me (while about 8) to an in patient facility and around that time I was diagnosed with bipolar.   Anyways over the past at least 5 years or so I haven't really seen any doctors or been on any kind of medication.  I have had no bouts of depression or manic episodes I have never had so much as a speeding ticket from the police and I have 0 experience with drug or alchol and im squeeky clean.

I myself and others beleive the bipolar was a misdiagnosis.  I am considering seeing a recruiter today for the navy and was wondering if it would be possible at any point in the recruitment process to go to a doctor again and get this clarified once and for all and see if I can get a waiver.

Or If I bring this up will the recruiter just kick me out the door?

I want to serve my country and I want to gain the experiences the navy offers as well as an education and one day become a police officer.  I am 23 now almost 24.

Please any direct advice would be great.

ANSWER: Alex,
You may be in luck.  Because everybody has had some kind of childhood disease, the military is usually only interested in diseases/disorders after age 12.

By all means be honest with your recruiter.  He may even tell you that you don't need to mention it.  It will only come up on the written questionnaire that you have to answer, not at the physical exam.  When asked, downplay any symptoms you may have had, as if they were very minor.
(It sounds like they were anyway.)  You probably won't even need a waiver.

A word of advice:  in your last sentence you basically said you wanted to join because of what the Navy could do for you.  They already know that.  You should always say what you can do for the Navy.  You're going to be the best damn boatswain's mate (or whatever) they've ever seen.   Your past experience as a ----- makes you capable of assisting the Navy to the maximum extent possible.  In short, you must convince them why they need you.

I don't think you'll have any problem.  Please keep me updated as to your progress.
See you around the docks, sailor!
Colonel H

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I definitely feel a duty to serve my country thats why I want to go enlisted instead of reserve.  I was diagnosed around the age of 8 however medication and other such things continued until I was around the age of 18.

All symptoms were typcily described by my parents and the doctors went along with that.  I can down play the symptoms because for the past 5 years un medicated there haven't been any... At all.  No depression no manic states nothing.

But as I said the issue is it was not something that just happened at the age of 8.  It continued on for another 10 years constantly trying to treat the problem.. never actually doing so with any combination of medication.  As stated some doctors.

So there is a medical history that does go past the age of 12.

Answer
Alex,
Why would you want to admit to that?  You don't have to produce any kind of medical records (unless you're applying for a waiver.)  If you're as well as you say, and others can't detect it, I'd be inclined to deny ever having it, especially since you don't think you really had it.  Why shoot yourself in the foot?
Colonel H