tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11850330.post7901587805255469108..comments2023-08-03T04:54:54.068-04:00Comments on Abacaxi Mamão: Living with depressionAbacaxi Mamaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06604184268628243496noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11850330.post-30684065647976860722008-01-14T15:59:00.000-05:002008-01-14T15:59:00.000-05:00It's not true that if someone has ever taken psych...It's not true that if someone has ever taken psychopharmaceuticals, they are ineligible for certain roles in the Israeli army. There may be an initial presumption that they are ineligible, but they can overcome that presumption by getting a letter from a psychiatrist, especially a well-connected psychiatrist, such as a former chief psychiatrist of the IDF. The problem here, and probably in the Peace Corps as well, is that no bureaucrat wants to be blamed for problems that might arise later. Having a letter from a prominent psychiatrist, certifying that the person is mentally healthy, makes the lower level bureaucrat less worried about getting blamed for anything later.<BR/><BR/>Similarly, if the person doesn't say that they ever took psychopharmaceuticals, when enlisting in the IDF, no one is going to get blamed for allowing them into a combat unit. If someone had serious psychological problems growing up, and took medication for them, but didn't say that when entering the IDF, they could easily end up in a combat unit. (I've heard of such stories, and the soldiers in question ended up doing very well.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11850330.post-27464803810557858712008-01-09T15:56:00.000-05:002008-01-09T15:56:00.000-05:00Thanks for both of your comments.David, I agree th...Thanks for both of your comments.<BR/><BR/>David, I agree that requiring someone to be fully stable for a year doesn't seem like that high a burden. However, I'm not sure that's the same thing as requiring someone to not have been in therapy for a year. That is, people can be in therapy and be quite stable, and people can not be in therapy and not be that stable. "Therapy" is being used as shorthand for "mentally unstable," and, while there is quite a bit of logic to it, it's also sort of clumsy as shorthand. In my opinion. <BR/><BR/>Kate, thank you for bringing the military into this. I don't know how I feel about this particular example. I think that a lot of people have limited security clearance, and I would rather limit security clearance than have to deal with the potential aftermath of not limiting security clearance. <BR/><BR/>Possibly more trouble is the fact that anyone who has ever taken any psychopharmetceuticals is ineligible for certain roles in the Israeli army, even if they are no longer taking them. They are limited to jobs like...cleaning and organizing weapons. Yes, that's right.<BR/><BR/>Another thing that I have heard, but not verified, is that admission to the bar in some states is difficult if you have ever been diagnosed with a mental illness (such as, say, major depression). Something about mental illness making someone "unfit to serve." I should look into this some more at some point.Abacaxi Mamaohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06604184268628243496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11850330.post-52119561620403808412008-01-09T12:43:00.000-05:002008-01-09T12:43:00.000-05:00On a similar note, any military personnel taking a...On a similar note, any military personnel taking anti-depressants have limited security clearance. I understand that major depression could lead a person to behave irrationally in a way that might pose a security risk, but I fear that the real impact of this policy is to discourage depressed members of the military from seeking treatment.Katiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16373367950937808774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11850330.post-60458130006702704162008-01-07T16:57:00.000-05:002008-01-07T16:57:00.000-05:00I think the 12-month rule is sensible. The Peace ...I think the 12-month rule is sensible. The Peace Corps isn't something to join and quit lightly, and saying that someone has to be fully stable for a year really doesn't seem like that high a burden. i.e. if a person wants to go, but was in therapy for a while, just wait a few months. Where's the harm? If anything, learning to wait a bit before getting to do something desireable is probably a good lesson.<BR/><BR/>Jon's essay is well-written, thank you for pointing it out.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16491386537225283381noreply@blogger.com