I just read a thread in the Jobs/Career section discussing the impact of ADHD on a military career, but I'm looking to explore it from a different angle.

I'm ADD of the Overfocus type if you subscribe to those designations, and I'm thinking about possibly joining the Marine Corps reserves sometime in the next few years after I (hopefully) graduate college next month. I want to serve for all the "right reasons," but one of those happens to be the effect that I believe it will have on my ability to deal with my ADD.

My brother just finished Marine Corps boot camp at age 30 last week, and he is a completely changed person. His confidence is through the roof, he is not anxious like he used to be, and he as well as the rest of us are quite sure he can accomplish whatever he puts his mind to now. He was ADD with identical symptoms to mine (although undiagnosed) and it seems that his intensive training has helped him enormously through character development and confidence.

Now I am 23, my passion is Theology, and my dream is to teach it at a highschool level some day. The problem is that I have the organization skills and self-discipline of an underachieving 4th grader, so serving as a role-model and educator for adolescents is out of the question until I get myself straightened out.

My father, at my age, was 10 times worse than either my brother or I, and he left college after two years to enter the army. He claims it was for the money and to fight, but I'm 95% sure it was at least partially for the same reasons I am thinking of. He was the classic brilliant underachiever prior to his service, and then miraculously a great student afterward, he even went on to get two masters degrees afterward.

To get to the point, and sorry for the long post... Are there any others among you that can give testimony to the transformative powers of military training, especially one as intensive as the Marines? I believe that although I am medically diagnosed as ADD, most of my difficulties arise from the psychological havoc it wreaks on my confidence and follow through. Now I know I could spend the next six months going to various specialists and therapists to get the right combo of drugs, behavioral treatment, and environmental changes, but would those be as effective in the long term as a system for "changing" people like me that the Government has been employing for decades?

I know that might be a messed up way of thinking about things to some of you, but from what I've seen in my brother, and what I suspect about my father's past, I'm leaning more and more toward this option.


Opinions..... Please........

I don't have any experience with the military.

I do pretty well when someone else is providing the structure though.

I too, think that the havoc has cost me plenty.

Studying intensely in order to stretch your concept of what you are capable of, sounds like a really good idea.
Outwardbound (http://shorterlink.org/223) has the same goals and is derived from a military setting. Others not interested in serving in the military but at the same time are seeking the same types of challenges might enjoy looking into this organisation. It has courses around the world.

I expect you are onto something good here. I'd love for you to keep us abreast of your activities and or reflections regarding this endeavor.

I've begun the internal journey of leaning again after a twenty three year lay off to run distance. I am experiencing benefits doing that the are somewhat parallel to your expectations of the military training. Of course it's not as intense as Marine training, but it's intense enough to show some benefits in directions you and I both seem to crave.

I wouldn't expect it to change who I am at my core, but I would expect to come away with some better tools and confidence in my use of those tools.

Hi ifso!
Welcome:)

I am so glad you posted this.
My son, 21 years old is inattentive ADD....had a very difficult time in promary and secondary school even with
medication.

Now he attends a military college and is thriving on the structure the military type training has provided.

His first year was not so successful, however, as he spent most of his time shining his brass and polishing his shoes....so I guess you can say he hyperfocused too...

Anyway, he is in the army national guard program now and training to be an officer all the while taking a heavy load of school work.....making As and Bs.

His father and I are simply amazed.

His confidence has also skyrocketed because he is so suited to the military lifestyle. He has been complimented on his leadership skills and is quickly moving along as a combat engineer.

I think he has learned how to channel his gifts and abilities to become a great asset to our military. He has had unaltering focus on military ambitions from the young age of 8 and his interest has not wavered....and he is the product of two free spirited artists! Go figure.

This all leads me to believe that my daughter's drive to be in a police force might be well placed.

Just a quick comment and question. I am wondering how much the structure of the military training is helping, or is it the physical exercise? Or both. Personnally I think I would go nuts in the military, too much structure. I am sure I would benefit from the exercise. I am just wondering if the exercise, and what it does to the brain to allow me to accept the structure?

Any thoughts?

Well, doesn't exercise take discipline? I think it is about the discipline, and that would include both exercise and structure.

Exercise, I'm told, is the miracle drug.

Don't you think the whole bunch of us needs to go join the military?
Because structure could only be heightened by miracles and discipline would
be the ultimate structure because only the military can consider the whole bunch of us and the miracles we would benefit from. No?

Ifso--
I think that developing the structured habits taught in the military definitely could be a great assesst for lots of ADDers. But to play devil's advocate...

How do you feel about being sent to war?
Do you think you are capable of killing people?

I read an article about AWOL soldiers, and it indicated that the #1 reason why enlisted soldiers go AWOL is because they didn't fully comceptualize the reality that enlisting in the military means that they would be expected to kill people, and when they finally grasped that concept, they decided the military was not for them --so they go AWOL. It was an interesting article --I would have thought people went AWOL because they were afraid of getting killed, but this article claimed that most AWOL soldiers are more afraid/disturbed by the concept of having to kill others.

This article was in a very liberal-leaning magazine, but it was very compelling nonetheless. You might be able to read the article online at http://www.harpers.org The article is called "AWOL in America" from the March 2005 issue on Harper's magazine.

My cousin enlisted because he needed money for college, and by the time he had finished boot camp, he really seemed to regret his decision. He's got two more years to serve and will probably be going to Iraq within the next month or two. So I guess I just would caution you to think about the reality of what it means to be in the military --it might be great for you in terms of building self-esteem & teaching you structure, but if you are not prepared for the reality of having to fight in a war, then it may not be the right decision for you.

As far as Outward Bound, I've done it and I don't think it will even remotely compare to the rigid structure of the military. However, the course I did was purely recreational (2 weeks backpacking in the mountains in Colorado). They may have other courses that are organized for a therapeutic purpose, but I still don't think it will be anything like joining the Marines.

There are "boot camp" treatment programs for troubled teens. I've never heard of any "boot camp" type programs for adults, but it might be worth investigating if you decide against joining the marines.

As an ADDer and former Air Force pilot and enlisted man, I can tell you it was a two-edged sword. I needed the discipline and goals, but it didn't give me a creative outlet. I was constantly at odds with this. Although aviation is an art, it does not lend itself to creativity and trying things differently. There are some career fields that do, though, like my first career, Public Affairs. There's also opportunities in graphic arts, music and science.

The Air Force was right for me -- less physical and more mental. As a pilot, they literally spent millions of dollars training me, and I had a chance to serve my country. And I'm very patriotic. I've never personally killed anyone, although I'm sure I played a part in such action in both Bosnia and Afganistan. That's something to consider -- don't get in a career that you can "object" to.

Turns out that after I left active duty, I took the Myers-Briggs test, and determined I was an INTP. In my assessment, it actually said that one of the top 10 LEAST recommended occupations was AIR FORCE OFFICER. Well, that did explain a few things.

Now that I'm out, I do see that I lack some direction, and am seeking professional counseling to help me with self discipline. "All thrust, no vector," goes the aviation idiom.

Good luck. If you join, remember you're there to serve first -- the benefits to yourself are second. And always remember that like anything in life, you get out what you put in.

I don't have any Opinions but I wanted to say for me the Military would be a nightmare.

I realized this after I saw that move Private Benjamin, many years ago. :D

I cry easily if yelled at.....

My feels get hurt easily......

I don't like being told what to do......

sharing a bedroom and bathroom??? no way... :D

How on earth can I be expected to pay attention while marching, I just saw 3 pretty birds fly by..... :D

I was in the Navy and the only thing the military did to my symptoms was curve them a little. About a year after I got out the symptoms popped up worse then before and on top of that I was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress. Also keep in mind that if you have been on medication you probably will be disqualified unless you can get a waiver. That will be unlikely; a good friend of mine was discharged because he was on Ritalin when he was eight. So before getting your hopes up check with the recruiter and be straight forward with them.

On a side note...if you join the military and you do not expect to go to war that is your own fault. Military is about nothing more then defending our country.

My son just celebrated his one year anniversary in the Marine Corps so I've had the opportunity to see a certain aspect of military life. The structure and discipline of boot camp would be helpful to some persons with ADD. And if the military was all about everyday structure and exercise (PT), it might be just what you're looking for. But there's more to it.

First of all, for most MOS's (specialties) it's not if you'll go to Iraq or Afghanistan, it's when. And you won't go just once. More than one battalion is on its third deployment since the war started. I've heard war described as hours of boredom punctuated with moments of sheer terror. NonADD people are usually afraid of the moments of terror. Because of my ADD, I think I would fear the hours of boredom even more.

Second, after boot camp, the structure and discipline are not constant. Depending on the circumstances, there can be long periods of time with little to do, and no one to tell you what to do.

Finally, what if it's not helpful? You've made a commitment of at least four years. Good luck to you. Susan

Good luck in the Marines!! I LOVE our military and I admire all who serve in it.

I think it may just be helpful for you and your ADD. I do well if someone else is providing the structure. Very well, in fact.

Also, the least ADD time in my life is when I was consistently exercising.

Good luck!!

I would like to inject a note of realism to this whole thread. Are you currently taking medication? There are some very strict requirements that have to be met in order to join the military if you are currently on meds. It is not the dx of ADHD itself that will exclude you from enlisting it is the medication history. If you'd like to know more about it you can contact a local recruiter, who may or may not know the requirements or you can contact me through PM and I will steer you toward some online info that I receive as a military wife.

I realize this is a rather old thread so I am addressing anyone considering military service as a way to find discipline. I know many, many soldiers who cannot function in the "real" world. They go to work daily and do a fine job but their home lives are terrible. For the single soldiers the barracks are loud and with very little privacy. If they are married they are often mired in a huge well of debt. The divorce rates are huge at this time for service members. Not to mention, like Conlaw said, this is war time. It is frightening and stressful on a daily basis. If you find you could not function without meds you would be out of luck for they would not prescribe you any. You would then have to begin a VERY LONG process of a medical discharge which you may or may not receive. I beg anyone with dx ADHD to really think this option through. Military service should not be a way to control ADHD, or even a way to earn money for college, the service should be joined by those who feel the need to serve their country and are willing to make the largest of sacrifices to defend our freedoms. This is a scary time for military families, but it is necessary. Please take all of the possible situations into account before making any decisions.

http://add.about.com/cs/workplaceissues/a/adhdmilitary.htm


YOu may want to check this out. The last time I checked this out about the military and ADHD it was not allowed in the military.

I am an 14 year E-6 (Tech Sgt) in the Air Force and have receintly been diagnosed with depression and ADHD. I found that Military life did give me focus and direction early in my career not only because of the structured life but because I had supervisors mentoring me. My problems arose when I became the supervior and was the one expected to provide guidance the the younger airman and no longer had anyone mentoring me due to my rank. I cant say my career went crashing down but I have gone from an outstanding worker to a mediocer supervisor.

As far as treatment goes, I went to the Miltary mental heath with my concerns about four years ago and was told it was impossible for me to have ADHD since it was not caught when I was in school. Receintly I have gone back due to marital problems and they are now treating me for both depression and ADHD. The crappy thing is that I came to them before I had any serious problems with my life and they blew me off, but once I told them I was on the verge of divorce they have been very eager to help me.

I went to a a military camp for two weeks and it was the best two weeks of my life I loved it. I hope to go to a military college or enlist in the Navy and do the Bud's challenge. My confidence is much better then it has ever been before.