I served 4 year U.S Army infantry, and had an episode where someone slipped me a drug that made me hillucinate. Since that time I've been having hillucinations, and paranoia. My community where I live has totally shuned me, and disrespect me because we're at war, but I didn't have a choice. I've had death threats and everything else. What do you think?
2006-11-26 06:26:59 · 19 answers · asked by lvillejj 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
First off Schizophrenia is a hereditary condition. There is often a trigger for the first episode but your friend could have slipped you stuff every day of your life and if you did not have the genetics for Schitzophenia you would not have developed it.
Nor could you choose to develop such a dehabilitating condition. It is in your genetics. Not something you decide to do one day. Somebody blaming you for having episodes is like blaming you for being born with two arms. It just happened, it's not something within your control.
The military of course had to discharge you. If you were to have an episode while at a machine gun many lives could be lost. Key charactoristics of Schizo behavior is paranoia and hallucinations. Would be quite easy to confuse American troops or Iraqi civillians as insurgents during an episode.
I'm not sure that your community is shunning you for being discharged as much as for you being Schizo. Remember a key defining aspect is paranoia. So many of those who have "shunned" you might have not started out that way but are reacting more to your assumptions about them than anything else. Even in modern society there is a big stigma on Schizophrenics. While on meds the worst is controlled. Off meds you will be an unpredictable and potentially dangerous disruption. Schizos are notorious for burning down houses, committing random acts of violence and other destructive behavior. Not intentionally but because of paranoid delusions. Schitzos are also well known for getting off their meds because of the severe and frequent side effects of the meds.
I would suggest moving to a more tolerant community and one that's going to help you stay on your meds. That is the key. Your life is pretty much over if you wind up getting into the cycle many Schitzos get into with on the meds, then off, then into an institution, then back out strait to the streets. Then eventually back on the meds, then rebuilding something of a life then getting off the meds and destroying that life. Back to an institution to start the whole cycle over again.
You qualify for disability and should get on disability. You alway want to build safeguards into your life that enforce you taking your meds. Your meds are your lifeline to society. They are your ability to function and avoid the misery that charactorizes the lives of most Schizos. Most important, your actions when in a state of extreme paranoid delusion may take an innocent life and that will haunt you the rest of your days. So taking your meds is crucial. Staying on them is crucial. You need to build a life that forces you to stay on those meds. That allows for problems which will occasionally come out even while on your meds. Sounds like where you are at right now is a bad place to be. That it will only increase your problems. That is the LAST thing you want. Low key, low pressure environment is what you want to set up. A certain amount of regimentation. A group empowered to keep you on your meds, get you help when you fall of the meds and watch over your stuff if your locked up for a time. Some folks you can trust even through the paranoia. That will take the effort to make sure your staying on your meds. That you will listen too when they say take your meds.
You have a hard road ahead of you. I do not envy you. I've watched others go through it. I would not wish it on anyone. Heed my advice and you can save yourself a great deal of sorrow. The mechanisms of your disease are finally starting to be understood and one day there is hope for a real cure. Until then your meds are your crutch. Your lifeline to the world and a semblence of normalcy and happiness.
2006-11-26 07:02:57 · answer #1 · answered by draciron 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I'm in the military right now, and getting honorably discharged shortly. I'm planning on going to school. The government already gives you a head start when you get out, GI Bill. She's crying about not being able to find a good job? Get educated. You can actually MAKE money by going to school with your GI Bill if you do it right. Do I expect anything from the government? Yes, as long as I'm in, I expect them to pay me, house me, and feed me, because I volunteered. I expect them to inform me about benefits and other information vital to seperation, but after I'm out, I'm out. I do believe being prior military helps with getting jobs, only a little though. Unless you're trying to work for the government, or for a company that caters to the military, having it your resume isn't that much of a help, I believe anyway. Improve yourself. The military sets you up for that, but what you do is up to you. Cheers
2016-05-23 04:59:38 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That sounds pretty stupid. People are stupid.
Can't imagine what would make you continue to hallucinate currently in only one dosing. Maybe LSD, ironically researched at one time for military interrogation purposes.
Seems like if this happened there would be an extremely dangerous substance in the wrong hands and an investigation would be very very necessary for the safety of the public.
The people in your community need to f off and mind their own business.
If you have been diagnosed with mental problems such as hallucinations and paranoia why would they want you serving the military anyways? They sound pretty dumb to me.
2006-11-26 06:35:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think that there are probably treatments that can be implemented to reduce the symptoms, and yes, I do think you should have been discharged from the army, shunned...no, discharged, yes.
Military in Iraq are already at a high point of paranoia with not knowing who the enemy is, a person suffering from paranoid delusions would just have more of a problem.
2006-11-26 06:32:09 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
No! I really feel for you cause you couldn't help it. Paranoia tho will make you think the whole world is against you when it isn't. So they may not be as against you as you think. However the public isn't very understanding of mental disorders, even family members aren't. It's sad. If its as you say, you are to be congradulated for having served 4 good yrs fighting for our country and I will think of you as a good soldier!
2006-11-26 06:36:59 · answer #5 · answered by Brianne 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Someone" slipped you a drug? Sounds like pretty classic paranoia to me. Maybe you're just crazy and that's it. If you're crazy, they don't really want you in the military. I mean, it's not a strictly enforced, just more of a guideline.
2006-11-26 16:08:55 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. Even if nobody slipped you something - it's not shameful.
It's a disease that you can't help.
Good luck to you. Do you have good family support? Can you move away and start fresh?
2006-11-26 06:30:35 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
You need to see a psychiatrist and a therapist and get so answers and some medication to relieve the symptoms.
2006-11-26 07:32:31 · answer #8 · answered by usamedic420 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
i think your situation really sux, but i can see why they would discharge some 1 for schitz cause they would be considered a liability, but if they knew for sure that it was because you were unwillfully druged, they should have been nice enuff to make it an honorable discharge, since its somethin you can not help, what were you drugged with
2006-11-26 06:33:13 · answer #9 · answered by steven d 1 · 4⤊ 1⤋
that is bad. but the military cant take any risks during war. you could have turned on your unit and thought you were an iraqi as far as being shunned at home thats pathetic
2006-11-26 06:30:24 · answer #10 · answered by kleighs mommy 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋