anxiety attacks

[Rusty]

Well I have been putting off asking this Question for a while because I am afraid that it will DQ but here it goes.

When I was in the first grade, I started to get anxiety attacks about going to school. Don’t ask me why but whenever my parents would take me to school, I would have a total melt down. After some time of this, my parents took me to a therapist who told them that I needed to go on anti depression medication and they did. When I was on the anti depression pill it did not work.

In the fifth grade, I changed schools due to severe bullying from having my anxiety attacks and the bullying making them worse. At the new school my attacks had become more mild and controllable but I was still on the anti depression pill.

I was on the anti depression pill from first grade to eighth grade until I told my parents and my doctor that I did not need it and I stopped taking it and haven’t since.

Now that I will be turning 21 in October and want to be in law enforcement I am worried that my past medication and medical problem will be seen as a very negative blemish and DQ me. I do not get the anxiety attacks anymore have only been depressed a few times once when my grandma and grandpa past away and another time when my dog died last year. Each time lasting a few weeks.

Sorry, for the life story but I had to ask.

Thanks for reading.

Rusty.

[bell4fan]

If you get depressed over the dog dying, how are you goin to handle it if you have to kill someone?

[retdetsgt]

If you get depressed over the dog dying, how are you goin to handle it if you have to kill someone?

I wouldn't want him working as a cop if he DIDN'T get depressed when his dog died. :rolleyes:

Rusty, it's hard for us to say. People grow out of a lot of things they have in childhood, but it's not a given. This is something that's going to have to be evaluated by a dept psychologist.

Anxiety and depression are the major symptoms of PTSD. And the job is stressful, not just from the point of what you do out there on a day to day basis, but you will get a lot of stress just from the people you work for. Studies have shown that administrations, not the public are the primary cause of routine stress in police officers. You will often be judged for your actions yesterday by what appears in today's paper.

If I were you, my concern wouldn't be so much getting DQ'd as to what the job will do to you down the line if you have a propensity for anxiety and depression.

[Rusty]

RetDetSgt thanks for answering my post. I get what you are saying about the stress of police work and what the impact may have on my life with my past. As much as I would love to become an LEO, I will have to decide what is best for me.

Thanks

[seeking]

I would worry if you were still getting anxiety attacks as that would indicate you may not be able to handle the stress of police work. They will look at your past and may ask if you have ever had such things in your past, but if you've since been able to find better ways to cope with anxiety and stress since I wouldn't expect it to be a problem. If I read correctly you were in eighth grade the last time you had that happen, so that puts at least five years between the problem and the present. As to the depression, people get depressed when people and pets close to them die; it doesn't show your weakness, it shows you love. Good luck

[Rusty]

Thanks to all who answered my post. I have decided to finish my AA and get a degree in business so if I am not able to become an LEO I will have a back up plan.

[mcsap]

You will change /mature a lot over the next few years. Finish your degree, get a job ( pretty much anywhere ) involving dealing with the public and see how things go. I didn't get hired until I was 25. 21 is on the young end of the scale.