theoneee3324
New Member
Hello everyone. I just need some honest thoughts about how to go about my OCS journey.
Here's a background and details of what happened:
I'm 25 and want to become a fighter pilot for the Navy. I played a high level college sport up until about a year and a half ago and went through some things during college that I am worried could affect me to become a pilot. I graduated with a business degree for starters so I am eligible and have no diseases/illnesses/any health issues and very fit. I have had all of my blood work done and nothing is DQ or even close to that as well as I have good eyes and hearing (had Lasik about 4 years ago.)
Being a college athlete is difficult because I have a full stack of paperwork from medical things that they look at and document every day vs the regular college student who isn't getting blood work all the time/ doing physical therapy or have to talk to a physical trainer every day who documents anything that could be wrong with you. Besides the occasion sprains and problems athletes get, I had no major surgeries. Although when 5 years ago when I was 20, our coaches were super controlling as college athletics were having mental health crisis' all over and it was around COVID as well, which caused our coaches to turn crazy and want us to all seek therapy and sports counseling about mental health issues because of college athletic stresses. I was 20, dealing with a break up, sports, school and playing in front of 1000s of people while still keeping a smile on my face, although our coach said we had to seek sports counseling or else we would get in trouble/ not play (also seems highly illegal.)
Not thinking this would affect me later in life wanting to serve my country, I just did as I was told because I was young and dumb and wanted to play and get my coach to trust me and love me. I went to a sport psychologist who would always just diagnose athletes with depression/anxiety and what not just because of college athletics stress and would prescribe meds like it was candy. I was prescribed something I don't even what (some antidepressant) for controlling stresses of college athletics life, but never actually took the medicine (because I don't believe people should just throw out medicine without extensive research on why someone should take it.) A couple weeks in, I told my therapist I wasn't going to take it anymore (even though I never did) and never dealt with it again after that. My 2 schools I went to sent all my medical documents to me and there is no information in the documents on this happening although I am sure it is somewhere at some psychologist's practice that they prescribed me something and that I stopped taking it.
I have coaches/ trainers/ professors who can back me up that I was mentally stable throughout my college athletic career and graduated from a high-level institution which is why I believe I will be a great fighter pilot because I have a strong, disciplined and competitive mindset, although I am worried that something like that could keep me from becoming a pilot as I don't know how to explain all of this to them, nor would they really care.
I know they make waivers for this especially if it's been 5 years and and I guess you can get a waiver even for not taking medicine up to a year ago or something like that, but should I be worried and should I try to explain this.
Also I know someone who was diagnosed with ADD when he was younger and they found out in OCS and they just made him do a pysch eval after graduation and he was fine.
This was a lot but wanted to get the full picture out there. Any thoughts????? Thanks in advance!
Here's a background and details of what happened:
I'm 25 and want to become a fighter pilot for the Navy. I played a high level college sport up until about a year and a half ago and went through some things during college that I am worried could affect me to become a pilot. I graduated with a business degree for starters so I am eligible and have no diseases/illnesses/any health issues and very fit. I have had all of my blood work done and nothing is DQ or even close to that as well as I have good eyes and hearing (had Lasik about 4 years ago.)
Being a college athlete is difficult because I have a full stack of paperwork from medical things that they look at and document every day vs the regular college student who isn't getting blood work all the time/ doing physical therapy or have to talk to a physical trainer every day who documents anything that could be wrong with you. Besides the occasion sprains and problems athletes get, I had no major surgeries. Although when 5 years ago when I was 20, our coaches were super controlling as college athletics were having mental health crisis' all over and it was around COVID as well, which caused our coaches to turn crazy and want us to all seek therapy and sports counseling about mental health issues because of college athletic stresses. I was 20, dealing with a break up, sports, school and playing in front of 1000s of people while still keeping a smile on my face, although our coach said we had to seek sports counseling or else we would get in trouble/ not play (also seems highly illegal.)
Not thinking this would affect me later in life wanting to serve my country, I just did as I was told because I was young and dumb and wanted to play and get my coach to trust me and love me. I went to a sport psychologist who would always just diagnose athletes with depression/anxiety and what not just because of college athletics stress and would prescribe meds like it was candy. I was prescribed something I don't even what (some antidepressant) for controlling stresses of college athletics life, but never actually took the medicine (because I don't believe people should just throw out medicine without extensive research on why someone should take it.) A couple weeks in, I told my therapist I wasn't going to take it anymore (even though I never did) and never dealt with it again after that. My 2 schools I went to sent all my medical documents to me and there is no information in the documents on this happening although I am sure it is somewhere at some psychologist's practice that they prescribed me something and that I stopped taking it.
I have coaches/ trainers/ professors who can back me up that I was mentally stable throughout my college athletic career and graduated from a high-level institution which is why I believe I will be a great fighter pilot because I have a strong, disciplined and competitive mindset, although I am worried that something like that could keep me from becoming a pilot as I don't know how to explain all of this to them, nor would they really care.
I know they make waivers for this especially if it's been 5 years and and I guess you can get a waiver even for not taking medicine up to a year ago or something like that, but should I be worried and should I try to explain this.
Also I know someone who was diagnosed with ADD when he was younger and they found out in OCS and they just made him do a pysch eval after graduation and he was fine.
This was a lot but wanted to get the full picture out there. Any thoughts????? Thanks in advance!
