ADHD Years Ago?

[Xx_Lawdog_xX]

I'm having difficulty locating any concrete answers to this question. I took a mild dose of medication (I think it was Ritalin) growing up until I was about 17. I got off of it and was cleared by the Psychiatrist that prescribed it. Three years later I attempted to join the Air Force, disclosed the information, and had to again get written off for it saying that it is not an issue now and I got accepted into the Air Force.

Fast forward to now, seven more years later, and I'm putting together a package for Navy OCS. I'm going to have to go to MEPS soon and when I was looking over the form I realized that this issue will arise again. It's been nearly 10 years since I've taken anything and I don't even feel like I had a problem to begin with (I was just a hyper kid!). Will this be an issue? Will I have to get another waiver? Will my chances go down for getting picked up?

The reason I ask is because I think it's ridiculous that I am having to do anything with this now and that it could potentially hurt me. I will graduate this December with a 3.36 GPA (which I am expecting to rise), I have great performance reports in the military, and my LORS are from high ranking military individuals who have known me personally for years and say nothing but good things about me. Should I be concerned at all?

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I'm having difficulty locating any concrete answers to this question. I took a mild dose of medication (I think it was Ritalin) growing up until I was about 17. I got off of it and was cleared by the Psychiatrist that prescribed it. Three years later I attempted to join the Air Force, disclosed the information, and had to again get written off for it saying that it is not an issue now and I got accepted into the Air Force.

Fast forward to now, seven more years later, and I'm putting together a package for Navy OCS. I'm going to have to go to MEPS soon and when I was looking over the form I realized that this issue will arise again. It's been nearly 10 years since I've taken anything and I don't even feel like I had a problem to begin with (I was just a hyper kid!). Will this be an issue? Will I have to get another waiver? Will my chances go down for getting picked up?

The reason I ask is because I think it's ridiculous that I am having to do anything with this now and that it could potentially hurt me. I will graduate this December with a 3.36 GPA (which I am expecting to rise), I have great performance reports in the military, and my LORS are from high ranking military individuals who have known me personally for years and say nothing but good things about me. Should I be concerned at all?

How much time did you spend in the USAF? are you still in the reserves?

 

[Xx_Lawdog_xX]

It'll be 7 years on the 28th and I extended till next April. Active duty.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

you shouldn't be going to MEPS at all, you should be getting the physical from your MTF

 

[Xx_Lawdog_xX]

I heard that but I wasn't sure. My recruiter told me that I should submit any recent Physical paperwork that I have to him on file and it may go through or it may not. If not, I would get sent to MEPS (which I think he believes may happen). Would you happen to know what form I would use if I were to schedule my own? I was sent the DD Form 2807-2 and USMEPCOM680-3A to fill out and send back to him so he could prepare everything. Would these be relevant or do they utilize an entirely separate form? All I have on file now is a current PHA which was completed last August. As a fireman, we go through Flight Medicine and have a more rigorous one than most others.

Thank you for answering my question too NavyOffRec.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I heard that but I wasn't sure. My recruiter told me that I should submit any recent Physical paperwork that I have to him on file and it may go through or it may not. If not, I would get sent to MEPS (which I think he believes may happen). Would you happen to know what form I would use if I were to schedule my own? I was sent the DD Form 2807-2 and USMEPCOM680-3A to fill out and send back to him so he could prepare everything. Would these be relevant or do they utilize an entirely separate form? All I have on file now is a current PHA which was completed last August. As a fireman, we go through Flight Medicine and have a more rigorous one than most others.

Thank you for answering my question too NavyOffRec.

I would look on here and find someone that is AD USN that just applied and ask them, MEPS could refuse to give you a physical, or worse yet DQ you, MEPS is there to disqualify people and they are good at it.

 

[Xx_Lawdog_xX]

That's what I was afraid of. It just seems silly something so far in the past with no relevance in the present would affect me negatively. I'll search around. Thank you again!

 

[nittany03]

I have just over 700 hours in gray jets and did it all on an ADD/ADHD-I/whatever-bullshit-term-they-use-now waiver. Think I got off the meds when I was 16, IIRC. I had to submit all my treatment records to NAMI for my initial screen, and someone somewhere decided my distractibility by small squirrels and shiny objects was still within acceptable bounds. It's waiverable, which is a good thing given that today's helicopter parenting makes South Whiting Field look like it's got tumbleweeds blowing down the runways. That said, current use of meds is a complete no-go. They need to see you can successfully cope without them.

That said, I can speak from experience that if you do get in a cockpit someday, you'd be surprised at what a misnomer they used to describe that particular personality trait (I think "disorder" is a bullshit term, but go figure). It's a tendency to laser-focus on one thing at a time to the exclusion of everything else; as one of my COs called it, "channelized attention." If it was a safety of flight thing, they wouldn't waiver it; but it's still an absolute pain in the ass, especially when you're first learning. You'll need to get real good real quick at constantly asking yourself "What should I be doing now and what am I forgetting?"

 

[TriggerFish]

I got off the meds at 17 went to MEPS disclosed it and got a waiver. Just be honest and I think the examiner just wants to see if it's an issue that will potentially compromise your ability to serve and lead. You've proven you got the grades and study habits, I wouldn't worry too much.