• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

ADHD, ADD, and why we can't get in rants......

Yup.
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/79323.0.html

If you use the search function you will find more info on this subject.
 
Sorry what was the question.....

Yeah so as long as you can...

Sorry there was a fly anyway

so yeah like control you know you should be....  ;D


Damn I am a prick!


 
Here is our next task: Change this light bulb.

Let's go for ice cream....
 
First i must say i did search and found nothing pertaining to what i was looking for
I have ADHD, it is very mild. I have been in Army Cadets for 3 years. my ADHD does not affect my ability to learn or to pay attention. I am on medication that i have been on sense i was about 5. I applied for the reserves, when i do my medical do they ask if you are on any medications and will they deny me because of the medicine i am on, considering it will not affect my ability to do my job, and considering that i have been in army cadets for 3 years which means that i excel in the type of training such as drill and leadership. I do well in school getting 80-90% in all my marks.
If they do not ask during my medical should i mention it?
what is the policy for medication?
let me make not that the medication is not ritalin
Thanks
 
dh101 said:
when i do my medical do they ask if you are on any medications

They will ask and you WILL tell them.

and will they deny me because of the medicine i am on,

They can but that is for the CF to determine based on your condition.

considering it will not affect my ability to do my job,

How do you know ?

and considering that i have been in army cadets for 3 years which means that i excel in the type of training such as drill and leadership.

Yeah...cadets are the same thing as the CF but without the guns, bombs, and many other things that kill.



If they do not ask during my medical should i mention it?

Yes.
 
And thats all the answers a website can give you, next step is yours.

Good luck.
 
Medical Appeal Due to Medication & ADHD

Today I received my PFO letter in the mail saying that I was not 'fit for service' because of ADHD and the medication I take. I did get a letter during my medical exam that my doctor had to fill out and everything on the form that I was given was all put as fit to do the activities by my doctor, so why are they saying that I am not fit? Is there any way to appeal this decision and if I were to stop taking my medication after discussing it with my doctor and deciding it is the best option could I be accepted, or would they deny me again because I took medication in the past?
If there is an appeal process how do I appeal the decision?

Thanks
 
You'd have to check with the medical people at the CFRC regarding the requirements.  IIRC, people with epilepsy have to be medication-free and seizure-free for a certain period of time before they are eligible for enrollment.  If you have to take medication for something (e.g. insulin for diabetes), you will not be eligible to join.  It doesn't matter that you are "fit" to do the activities.  The reason is, if you were out in the middle of nowhere and lost or ran out of your medication, what would happen?

As far as going off your meds, that's only something your doctor can decide.  I would imagine you would have to be medication and symptom free for a certain period of time.
 
Just because your civilian physician feels your fit for military service doesn't make you so - the military decides on your fitness.  If you wish to appeal this, I'd suggest trying to get a letter from a specialist, ie a psychiatrist, that can attest to knowing how well you functioned pre-medication, after and what the prognosis would be without it at this point in time and have that sent to the RMO.  Another option would be to go off your medication under supervision of your physician/psychiatrist and see how you do without it and after a suitable time, reapply (a year at least IIRC).  Still no guarantees though.

Cheers.

MM
 
PMedMoe said:
  The reason is, if you were out in the middle of nowhere and lost or ran out of your medication, what would happen?

The thing about the medication that I take is that if I did not have or was unable to take my medication I would still be able to function, the medication I take isn't something that I need or I will die or not be able to function.
 
dh101 said:
The thing about the medication that I take is that if I did not have or was unable to take my medication I would still be able to function, the medication I take isn't something that I need or I will die or not be able to function.

Are you sure about that?  How long have you been taking the medication?  How do you act (or react) when not on it?  To be blunt, if you don't need it, why are you taking it?  Not saying you would die without it, however, depending on how severe your ADHD is, you could act quite different when not on the meds.  My daughter's half-sister has it and I have seen first-hand a difference of night and day in her behavior when on or not on medication, particularly how much longer it takes to work when she doesn't get it by a certain time.  There are certain conditions where one can go for long periods of time without meds and have no physical or behavioral problems (e.g. I have an under-active thyroid but missing several days - up to three weeks - of medication has no effect on me).

It is up to the RMO to decide who is acceptable for CF service.  Take medicineman's advice, he would certainly have a better idea than I would.
 
Moe beat me to the punch - someone seems to think you required the medication to go about daily life in a proper manner.  When we say function, we mean in a productive manner.  If you're forgetful without your meds or lose focus easily or have bad impulse control, well you'd be functioning, but not at the level we'd need you to.  Those are the concerns - however, they really are between you, your doc(s) and the RMO to sort out.

MM
 
Basically, its "our" club. "We" decide who gets to join it. If "we" decide you don't fit in, then it is up to you to prove that you do.

In your case, get off the meds for a year or so (ADHD rarely persists into adulthood) and reapply, as MM suggested.
 
I am currently waiting for spots to open in April, and I have ADHD. I was diagnosed with ADHD 3 years ago. That was when I was 14. It took a lot of time for the Medics in Toronto to accept my doctor's note on me having ADHD back in December 2009. What I did, I weened off of the Concerta (methylphenidate), took 1 pill every other day, every 3 days, once a week. Then I stopped. My doctor kept up to date with my activities and what-not, and I am all set.

I have been off my medication a full 2 months, with great success!

ADHD and ADD are being thrown around a lot these days.

And about the CF medical standards, I think they are right. I have no objection to their Medical Standards. I remember getting a letter in late November saying I was not Medically fit for the CF due to my Medication.  :-\ "Well that's not that damn fair to me."

So, I stayed determined to join the CF. I didn't stray off nor become discouraged. I called the Medics in Toronto and asked them if there was ANYTHING I could do to become medically fit. They said I needed an official letter from my doctor saying that I am excellent when I am off my medication.

It had never made so much sense before in my life. So that's what I did. I got a letter from my doctor saying that I was going to be taken off of my medication. I faxed that to Toronto and they replied saying I needed to be off my medication for AT LEAST 3 weeks. I said to myself, "Ok, fine. Let's do this." 

I waited about 22-23 days and went to see my doctor. I got an updated letter from my doctor saying I was all clear for medication; I am doing just fine. I faxed that to the Medics in Toronto and I got a phone-call saying it got sent up the pipe to Ottawa.

(All of these events happened from Late November 2009 to December 23rd, 2009)

January 21st, 2010. I receive a letter from RMO Ottawa Medical Officer saying, "I am pleased to inform you that you now meet the common medical requirements for both the Reserve and Regular Forces."

I was overjoyed, and now I wait until April for Infantry Positions to see if I can get into the Reserves.

P.S. I originally signed up for a Military Co-op at my school, but I did not make it due to position cuts. I decided to see if I could join the Reserves  - Infantry without the co-op.

Cheers,
Zach McCurdy, Age 17
Canadian Forces Applicant
 
Congratulations on being accepted. I suggest though that you change the title of your post... it appears that the problem was not "a common ADHD problem with the CF"...

The CF does not have a problem with ADHD. If you're on ADHD medication, you won't be accepted; no problem.

Perhaps "A common condition: ADHD, and how I overcame and fixed it." would be more accurate.
 
ModlrMike said:
Congratulations on being accepted.

Correction: I have not been accepted yet; My Recruiter called me a while ago, letting me know that I did not make the co-op. I then proceeded to e-mail her asking if I could join the Reserves - Infantry since I didn't make the co-op.

I later got a reply back saying that I should contact her in April, as she would know if there will be any positions available then.

Cheers,
Zach McCurdy, Age 17
Canadian Forces Applicant
 
Hey thanks for posting this. Way to not let something this minor hold you back man. Im kind of in the same situation as you. Im 18 waiting for infantry to open as well. Good luck to you,

jordan.
 
Actually I have a question regarding just this.
I'm applying for ROTP, I did the interview, medical exam, and what not. I got the same letter, it told me I needed to be off ritalin for 6months from Dec. 09.
Now, I'm in my third year of university, I have had no problem being off the medication, and I know I'm going to have to spend an extra year here.. that isn't the problem. I plan on having the letter from my doctor sent in at the beginning of May, I'll go and update him after exams and have him write up a letter...
So, first, is it ok that I am sending this letter in a little early? Also, where am I sending this exactly, to the local recruiting center, or to Ottawa? Finally, assuming they get the letter by the end of May, assuming I am accepted into the program, will I be doing basic training this summer, or will it be too late?
 
Back
Top