Doctor and Parents Put You On Meds As A Kid

[JamiLea]

Will this affect chances on getting hired at a local PD?



My childhood doctors and parents put me on ritalin and anti depressants when I was a kid because I was "too hyper" in their opinion. My parents ALWAYS failed to tell the doctors that my mom's husbands were drunk and abusive and my mom was on drugs. So, that probably affected me a lot as a kid.

As long as I'm honest about it, should it matter?

[Lawson]

I was put on Ritalin in the 4th Grade and stopped taking them in the 6th Grade. Though I was never on anti-deps...

One psych doc said my results showed I was still ADD, but I was still passed. Ive gone through 4 backgrounds and never failed due to it.

[JamiLea]

I stopped taking them myself after my sophomore year of high school. I told my mother I didn't need them anymore and I would "take over from here" LOL


My pediatrician said he prescribed anti-depressants along with the ritalin because the ritalin acts as somewhat of a "depressant" to calm me down and the antidepressant makes it easier to sleep at night.


I never understood that and I think it's all hog wash anyways. Nowadays, I don't even take tylenol for a headache. It's a bunch of crap imho

[mcsap]

It will be looked at because of the time frame involved. I am sure they will want the opinon of an MD and a shrink on your current status. How old are you now ?

[DeltaV]

Lots of children were/are unnecessarily put on medication for "behavioral disorders." Assuming you still aren't on the medication now and haven't been for some time, I don't really see it being an issue. Still, it's up to the department's psychologist who conducts the psychological examination.

[JamiLea]

I am 24. I took myself off those meds when I was 17.

[Joeyd6]

The NYPD is pretty lax on thsi stuff. I can tell you if you meet their standards if:

1) What age were you put on the meds?
2) Any meetings with a psychologist during the time you were on the meds? if so, how many times?
3) Any issues or problems today?

[JamiLea]

I was first put on ritalin at the age of 6. After awhile, when my mom took me to get a refill and they told her it was a narcotic, she freaked and took me off of it. Then, later about jr. high, when I was 12 or 13, my grandfather on her side died, I was on his chest when he took his last breath, I heard his heart stop, she took me to the doctor to have them put me back on the medication. I was on it until I was about 16, then they switched me to adderall and at the age of 17, I took myself off. I saw a psychiatrist when I was 17 or 18 when my great grandmother died while I was on the medication.

Then, when I was about 21 or 22, after my grandfather on my dad's side died and I went through a bad engagement breakup, I went to see a psychiatrist because I was in turmoil over both things. They tried to tell me once I pass the age of 18, ADHD turns into bipolar in women. I was so upset and emotional over the death and breakup that I took their suggestion. When an employer of mine told me to get rid of them because the medication made me a zombie and changed my personality completely, I vowed to myself that I would seek therapy to change learned behavior patterns from my childhood, discover who I really was and what I wanted in life, write down my problems and work through them and never take medication again.

From that point on, I haven't. I've matured so much, learned so much and realized that my problems were caused by my childhood. I worked very very hard to live a stable life, worked for myself for 4 years as a fashion model, raised my self esteem, self confidence, all kinds of stuff.

I'm writing a novel now on these forums, but I'm a really excited person and feel very very blessed for my life experiences and overcoming so much.

Wont they look at applicants as a "whole person"? I've been doing so much research about this on the internet and it seems that a lot of the intelligence agencies have loosened up on the "drug" policy. They are accepting applicants with a past worse than mine as well as people that have sold drugs, possessed them, even heroin. What are your thoughts?

There is bound to be some agency in this country that will accept me. I will move there, get my foot in the door, build a good rapport and transfer, no?

[explcdt8]

They tried to tell me once I pass the age of 18, ADHD turns into bipolar in women.

I really can't answer to the Law Enforcement side of the questions, but that has to be one of the most glaring examples of medical misinformation/malpractice I've seen.

[JamiLea]

I really can't answer to the Law Enforcement side of the questions, but that has to be one of the most glaring examples of medical misinformation/malpractice I've seen.

I know. They didn't even really evaluate me first. People with deep rooted issues that haven't had a chance to work through them display many types of behaviors that seem like this or that and it appears that the first thing medical professionals do is pile pills down the throats of a plethera of young people.

I'm just happy I had a kick butt employer and feel blessed to be as intelligent as I am or else I could still be on that crap til this day.