My army experience - Diagnosed with Bi-polar Mood Disorder (aka Manic Depression)
In the army before the mental illness
During my first year and a half in the army I did not have any significant
"discipline" problems. I graduated electronics school at Ft. Devans
as a “distinguished graduate” and was spoken highly of (army-89-0525).
In the army after being diagnosed with mental illness
After being at Ft. Bragg a few months, I was having problems with my
energy and emotions. I was diagnosed with Bi-polar Mood Disorder (aka "Manic
Depression"), a mental illness. This was a shock, and I told my supervisors
about it. They rated me better at this time (army-89-0828-p1).
Medical people suggested that this mental illness could be treated and that I could stay in the army. Like a lobster being boiled alive, I could not see how the effects of this mental illness were getting me in trouble. I was being given counseling statements telling me "straighten your act and be a soldier or leave my army" (army-90-0406-p1, bottom right) and other warnings or punishments. I could recognize that issues involving my medicine were causing a problem (army-90-0323-p2-lithium), which the chain of command seemed to ignore. However, they had me feeling like such a failure that I did not recognize that mental illness was the real problem.
Being called a dangerous person
In the Memorandum dated 1 Oct 90 (army-90-1001),
on #3 it is stated:
“In addition he had an outburst in the barracks that could have injuredThe truth is that I was depressed and half asleep, sitting in a chair in a common hallway, and my roommate with his friends wanted to come in but he forgot his key. I was slow to let them in. My roommate was upset because I was slow and they argued with me. When I tried to leave, they pursued, and ultimately I ran for the
another soldier, or at the minimum caused damage to personal property”
After this incident it took me several days to get permission to move to another room. In the mean time, I slept outside in an unused shed near work, because of the fear that I would be attacked again. I was late for several more formations as a result of trying to hide from my roommate, and got into more trouble. I received an Article 15 punishment before I was finally discharged for a "non-medical" personality disorder. So begins my life accused of being a dangerous person.
I tried to discuss these issues with doctors, but half an hour was never enough. I gave up.
(click here to see the full text of my army
experience)
(c) Copyright 2004 - by Michael John Lake + E-mail: Mike@NiceMike.com
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