Army ADD and the Army

[Rogert]

A friend of mine is in the Army and has shown the symptoms of ADD for years. I have a few questions regarding this situation:

1. If my friend were to see a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with ADD and prescribed something like Adderall, would this have a negative impact on their career? If so, how?

2. Is it possible to see a psychiatrist without having it go on their record? Including solutions outside whatever rules there may be?

3. How do piss tests and prescribed medications work?

Thank you

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Homunculus]

your "friend" seeking psychiatric treatment should not impact their career. *should* not.

short of the MFLC or other non-documented counseling, a psych visit would be documented like any other visit, except it is "************" for the reason for visit and access to it should be restricted. *should* be.

if you do not have a legitimate prescription within 90 days for the substance you pissed hot for, you lose. if you have a legitimate prescription for that substance, you should be ok. *should* be.

i have known people get hit with positive tests for old bottles of stuff-- codeine for instance-- and have had a medic beg me to write her for a pre-dated Rx for adderall to cover her because she took one of her friend's. the "taking an old rx" can be wriggled out of to some degree, but the latter not so much. it ws her second hit (first was for THC) and i felt bad but as much as i despise big army i wasn't going to break rules for something like that.

tell your "friend" to get evaluated. the choice of meds is up to them. personally i self medicate with caffeine.

--your friendly neighborhood script fraud avoiding caveman

 

[Rogert]

Let's say one of those first two *shoulds* end up not happening. What's are the realistic consequences/results? Not that those consequences would ever happen since everyone in the Army follows all of the rules all of the time.

 

[Homunculus]

ie, your "friend" is seeing a civilian psychiatrist who writes a legitimate Rx for a stimulant which you later pop positive on a UDS? the medical review officer will then need a copy of that prescription, likely discuss with the dispensing pharmacy to make sure it wasn't pre-dated, and make sure the psychiatrist is legit. if so, i don't see it being an issue. if a resident classmate or something similar wrote for it, there would probably be issues.

in today's age, it doesn't take much to get nailed for shenanigans. unless you are a general.

--your friendly neighborhood maybe your friend should use strattera caveman

 

[Homunculus]

Let's say one of those first two *shoulds* end up not happening. What's are the realistic consequences/results? Not that those consequences would ever happen since everyone in the Army follows all of the rules all of the time.

if you piss hot for a stimulant and don't have an in date Rx you'll get counselled, probably a LoR, and who knows what other admin actions. they take this **** seriously. especially for "providers."

hard to tell your friend what may happen without more details. but it sounds like his executive functions may have failed him.

--your friendly neighborhood don't party with molly caveman

 

[Rogert]

Sorry about the confusion, I'm less concerned about the pissing hot than the effects on career. My friend is afraid of seeking help because they think it'll get them discharged/stunt their career somehow. For instance, I was diagnosed with MDD and started taking anti-depressants when I was in 5 years ago. I left a few years back but now I'm trying to get an HPSP scholarship. I'm having to jump through all sorts of extra hoops and might not even qualify because of it. That kind of stuff is what they're afraid of.

 

[Homunculus]

it's not a big deal. people on chronic pain meds, stimulants, etc all will pop positive-- as long as you have an active rx and a therapeutic relationship with a credentialed normal provider on file you should be fine.

--your friendly neighborhood "we have to see the stream, sir" caveman

 

[SuperSoccer19]

If you are already in the military and then see mental health for R/O ADHD and are prescribed a stimulant, unless you have flight status, are a nuc or have some type of special duty is should have NO baring on your career whatsoever...unless your CO chooses to make fun of you for seeing mental health (which I have seen before).

Seriously, ADHD especially has no impact and is not a disability rating. USCG is a little weird about this, but not the army.

MDD is another story because if its truely MDD, the risk of relapse can be high and require intensive treatment, has a disability rating, etc.

 

[notdeadyet]

The damage to your career that could be caused by being on needed ADHD meds is >>> the damage by poor performance attributable to untreated ADHD.

This assumes actual ADHD, which you really need a psychiatrist to determine. In some cases, you can treat it with behavioral modification. This is particularly possible if their "ADD" was mild enough that it remained untreated into adulthood.

 

[buffdoc]

I just treated a soldier for ADHD, and treat other soldiers for MDD, GAD, etc., all the time. And I am a family medicine resident. The ones that go untreated, generally, end up as the problem cases that end up being chaptered out for various reasons. The only psych diagnoses that categorically get medboarded out are schizophrenia, bipolar type I, etc., and even those are waiverable in certain circumstances. Medboard doesn't mean automatic dismissal.

 

[Rogert]

Thank you everyone who responded. Hopefully I'll be able to convince him to see a doctor now.