This is a placeholder text
Group text
by Myracle on 22 July 2011 - 19:07
Schizophrenia is common in the Military because it typically doesn't emerge until the early to mid 20s. People enlist and develop symptoms a couple of years in. In most other career fields, the symptoms develop while the person is still in college, and often prevent the completion of the degree.
Personality disorders are common because the nature of the Military specifically attracts those with PDs, and PDs are nearly impossible to detect during enlistment screenings.
Personality disorders are common because the nature of the Military specifically attracts those with PDs, and PDs are nearly impossible to detect during enlistment screenings.
by Red Sable on 22 July 2011 - 19:07
So is schizophrenia genetic or enviromental? I know of a family that has two children with this disorder and the father is enough to drive me insane, so that is something I've always wondered.
by Myracle on 22 July 2011 - 19:07
Both, potentially.
There is a strong heritable factor, but environment can sometimes control whether it is expressed.
Marijuana is causally linked to Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder in persons with no other known risk factors.
For the record, childhood-onset Schizophrenia is incredibly rare [so much so that it's existence is highly disputed], and often children who are diagnosed with Schizophrenia are found to have been misdiagnosed when they reach adulthood.
Many other disorders can mimic the symptoms of Schizophrenia.
There is a strong heritable factor, but environment can sometimes control whether it is expressed.
Marijuana is causally linked to Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder in persons with no other known risk factors.
For the record, childhood-onset Schizophrenia is incredibly rare [so much so that it's existence is highly disputed], and often children who are diagnosed with Schizophrenia are found to have been misdiagnosed when they reach adulthood.
Many other disorders can mimic the symptoms of Schizophrenia.
by Preston on 23 July 2011 - 05:07
Mudwick, as an apparent lay person, you claim to know a great deal about the profession of psychology. I disagree with most of what you have posted here and I practiced for many years and attended yearly CEU's plus did research under grants.
I do know the field well and up until recently I kept up on the latest ongoing research projects. Unless you have access tio lexus/nexus or a medical reserach library it is unlikely you would have access to that work. And actually a fair portion of it has to be paid for to copy, actually. What I explained about epigentics is actually the latest research being done and the direction findings are going.
I do know the field well and up until recently I kept up on the latest ongoing research projects. Unless you have access tio lexus/nexus or a medical reserach library it is unlikely you would have access to that work. And actually a fair portion of it has to be paid for to copy, actually. What I explained about epigentics is actually the latest research being done and the direction findings are going.
by Myracle on 23 July 2011 - 16:07
Preston, posting citations costs no money.
If you cannot post links for your claims, then give the study titles, dates, researchers and where it was published for peer review.
Y'know, standard citation; your time in research will have intimately familiarized you with them.
by Bhaugh on 23 July 2011 - 17:07
Very interesting. So what types of personality disorder people are attracted to military life? And do these disorders multiply as the person ranks up and acquires status?
by Myracle on 24 July 2011 - 00:07
Bhaugh,
There's no way to know for sure which PDs are most common in the Military. Discharged for Personality Disorder don't list specific type.
My firsthand experience has been that there is a good deal of Borderline Personality Disorder in the Military, which makes perfect sense.
Borderlines lack self-identity- the Military is a good solution to both of those. You get a ready-made identity, complete with its own culture, beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, etc. Borderlines often blame those around them for their internal pain, so joining the Military and moving far away from your nuclear family [whom you have devalued through black and white thinking] seems like a perfect choice. People with BPD will likely encounter immediate difficulty due to their extreme emotional lability, impulsiveness, and black and white thinking.
BPD is also the most prevelant PD in our society, so it's going to be represented in larger numbers in any group.
People with NPD would also be attracted to the Military, for the prestige and attention it gains them. I'd imagine these people would also be more attracted to positions of authority, or "elite" units as well. These people are likely to do quite well in the Military.
Those with Antisocial Personality Disorder may be encouraged to join the Military by family, as a means to curb their irresponsible behaviors. The name is misleading, as people with APD are not averse to social interaction- the "anti-social" title refers to socially unacceptable behavior [crime, irresponsibility, violent behavior, etc]. The portrayal of Combat Veterans as having more leeway for fighting or engaging in other violent behaviors and being to some degree "outside the law" may also appeal to those with APD. These people are likely to be discharged for misconduct, either within the Military, or for repeated civilian violations.
Histrionic Personality Disorder sufferers might be attracted, similarly to the NPDers, by the attention and pristige that Military Personnel receive. Additionally, the frequent portrayal of wounded Veterans in the media may be appealing to someone with HPD, as they frequently use feigned illness or injury as a means to garner attention and sympathy. The common attitude that people look "sexy" in Military uniforms would also be a big draw. A person with HPD is likely to be discharged for an injury [contrived or exagerrated in severity], or for malingering.
The regimented, disciplined and orderly nature of the Military is going to be a strong draw to people with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder [not to be confused with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which is an anxiety disorder, NOT a Personality Disorder like OCPD]. People with OCPD have a need for order, strict discipline and are perfectionists to an extreme degree, which fits quite well with the Military mindset. These people would likely do well within the Enlisted and NCO ranks, in a non-Combat role. The inherant chaos of combat-related tasks, and the inflexible mindset of the OCPD would make them unsucessful in combat, or in roles requiring creating problem-solving.
Dependant Personality Disorders would find comfort in the Military structure- particularly as lower Enlisted personnel. Living in the barracks, following orders, having meals prepared and available in the mess hall, the personal restrictions on liberty that most people rebel against would appeal to DPD, because it removes the pathological fear of having to make decisions that charactorizes the disorder. These people would likely do very well through their initlal time in the Military, but would fail to progress in rank and fail to perform in any scenario that forces them to
There's no way to know for sure which PDs are most common in the Military. Discharged for Personality Disorder don't list specific type.
My firsthand experience has been that there is a good deal of Borderline Personality Disorder in the Military, which makes perfect sense.
Borderlines lack self-identity- the Military is a good solution to both of those. You get a ready-made identity, complete with its own culture, beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, etc. Borderlines often blame those around them for their internal pain, so joining the Military and moving far away from your nuclear family [whom you have devalued through black and white thinking] seems like a perfect choice. People with BPD will likely encounter immediate difficulty due to their extreme emotional lability, impulsiveness, and black and white thinking.
BPD is also the most prevelant PD in our society, so it's going to be represented in larger numbers in any group.
People with NPD would also be attracted to the Military, for the prestige and attention it gains them. I'd imagine these people would also be more attracted to positions of authority, or "elite" units as well. These people are likely to do quite well in the Military.
Those with Antisocial Personality Disorder may be encouraged to join the Military by family, as a means to curb their irresponsible behaviors. The name is misleading, as people with APD are not averse to social interaction- the "anti-social" title refers to socially unacceptable behavior [crime, irresponsibility, violent behavior, etc]. The portrayal of Combat Veterans as having more leeway for fighting or engaging in other violent behaviors and being to some degree "outside the law" may also appeal to those with APD. These people are likely to be discharged for misconduct, either within the Military, or for repeated civilian violations.
Histrionic Personality Disorder sufferers might be attracted, similarly to the NPDers, by the attention and pristige that Military Personnel receive. Additionally, the frequent portrayal of wounded Veterans in the media may be appealing to someone with HPD, as they frequently use feigned illness or injury as a means to garner attention and sympathy. The common attitude that people look "sexy" in Military uniforms would also be a big draw. A person with HPD is likely to be discharged for an injury [contrived or exagerrated in severity], or for malingering.
The regimented, disciplined and orderly nature of the Military is going to be a strong draw to people with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder [not to be confused with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which is an anxiety disorder, NOT a Personality Disorder like OCPD]. People with OCPD have a need for order, strict discipline and are perfectionists to an extreme degree, which fits quite well with the Military mindset. These people would likely do well within the Enlisted and NCO ranks, in a non-Combat role. The inherant chaos of combat-related tasks, and the inflexible mindset of the OCPD would make them unsucessful in combat, or in roles requiring creating problem-solving.
Dependant Personality Disorders would find comfort in the Military structure- particularly as lower Enlisted personnel. Living in the barracks, following orders, having meals prepared and available in the mess hall, the personal restrictions on liberty that most people rebel against would appeal to DPD, because it removes the pathological fear of having to make decisions that charactorizes the disorder. These people would likely do very well through their initlal time in the Military, but would fail to progress in rank and fail to perform in any scenario that forces them to
by Myracle on 24 July 2011 - 00:07
[continued]
be personally responsible or assume a leadership role.
Because many of these disorders are charactorized by traits that are compatible with certain aspects of Military service, it's impossible to know just how many people in the Military have PDs. Screening for PDs is complicated, and is rarely effective if the person is aware they are being screened. Often, people with PDs are very adept at masking their disordered thinking and attitudes, or those aspects of them that would be perceived as abnormal.
The Army alone discharges thousands of personnel per year, for PDs. While there are allegations that the Military abuses that discharge code to avoid paying benefits to Soldiers with PTSD, I think those claims are exagerrated. While there may be some cases of that occuring, it ignores other factors.
Since 2008, the Army has required all discharges for PDs to be reviewed by the Surgeon General for completeness and accuracy. If all the criteria of a PD are not substantiated in the discharge packet, the person cannot be discharged for a PD. Meeting all the criteria for a PD, by definition, eliminates the possibility that the symptoms are the result of Combat-related PTSD.
A person can have both a Personality Disorder and PTSD. If a person comes to the attention of mental health professionals due to PTSD, they may find during the course of treatment that the person also has a Personality Disorder. Additionally, the severity of Personality Disorders varies from person to person, and over the course of the sufferer's lifetime.
The order and structure of the Military can often mask or alleviate some or all of the symptoms of a PD, until the individual enters a period of extreme stress. The return or increase of these symptoms may initially be interpreted to be PTSD if they occur following a traumatic experience, but upon further examination be found to be those of a PD.
Some Personality Disorders cause compulsive lying and other manipulative behaviors. Someone discharged for a PD who was inclined to those sorts of behaviors would very likely attempt to lead others to believe that they in fact had PTSD and not a PD. Likely, they will have learned from their previous experience and will skillfully mislead future mental health professionals into believe that they have PTSD, by avoiding disclosure of those symptoms which led to their previous diagnosis of PD.
be personally responsible or assume a leadership role.
Because many of these disorders are charactorized by traits that are compatible with certain aspects of Military service, it's impossible to know just how many people in the Military have PDs. Screening for PDs is complicated, and is rarely effective if the person is aware they are being screened. Often, people with PDs are very adept at masking their disordered thinking and attitudes, or those aspects of them that would be perceived as abnormal.
The Army alone discharges thousands of personnel per year, for PDs. While there are allegations that the Military abuses that discharge code to avoid paying benefits to Soldiers with PTSD, I think those claims are exagerrated. While there may be some cases of that occuring, it ignores other factors.
Since 2008, the Army has required all discharges for PDs to be reviewed by the Surgeon General for completeness and accuracy. If all the criteria of a PD are not substantiated in the discharge packet, the person cannot be discharged for a PD. Meeting all the criteria for a PD, by definition, eliminates the possibility that the symptoms are the result of Combat-related PTSD.
A person can have both a Personality Disorder and PTSD. If a person comes to the attention of mental health professionals due to PTSD, they may find during the course of treatment that the person also has a Personality Disorder. Additionally, the severity of Personality Disorders varies from person to person, and over the course of the sufferer's lifetime.
The order and structure of the Military can often mask or alleviate some or all of the symptoms of a PD, until the individual enters a period of extreme stress. The return or increase of these symptoms may initially be interpreted to be PTSD if they occur following a traumatic experience, but upon further examination be found to be those of a PD.
Some Personality Disorders cause compulsive lying and other manipulative behaviors. Someone discharged for a PD who was inclined to those sorts of behaviors would very likely attempt to lead others to believe that they in fact had PTSD and not a PD. Likely, they will have learned from their previous experience and will skillfully mislead future mental health professionals into believe that they have PTSD, by avoiding disclosure of those symptoms which led to their previous diagnosis of PD.
by BabyEagle4U on 24 July 2011 - 00:07
I think most these PD's are a bunch of words thrown together and diagnose nothing to prescribe an Rx.
Like who in their right mind would even take the pills they prescribe for these so called illnesses ? Seriously, most the adverts I see on TV say causes liver damage, heart attacks, death ..
Like who in their right mind would even take the pills they prescribe for these so called illnesses ? Seriously, most the adverts I see on TV say causes liver damage, heart attacks, death ..
by Myracle on 24 July 2011 - 01:07
Personality Disorders are very rarely treated with medication, BE. They don't really respond to them.
Some people with PDs may have comorbid anxiety or depression for which they take medication, but that is a seperate diagnosis, and the medication isn't being given to treat the Personality Disorder.
There is not a single medication in existance that is labled solely for the treatment of any Personality Disorder.
I *suspect* that there aren't even any that are licensed to treat PDs as a secondary use. Any medication prescribed to treat a PD would have to be off-label use, and again, very few doctors are doing this because thousands of studies have shown almost no efficacy.
Personality Disorders are treated with psychotherapy, to varying degrees of success depending on the PD in question, and the type of psychotherapy.
Some people with PDs may have comorbid anxiety or depression for which they take medication, but that is a seperate diagnosis, and the medication isn't being given to treat the Personality Disorder.
There is not a single medication in existance that is labled solely for the treatment of any Personality Disorder.
I *suspect* that there aren't even any that are licensed to treat PDs as a secondary use. Any medication prescribed to treat a PD would have to be off-label use, and again, very few doctors are doing this because thousands of studies have shown almost no efficacy.
Personality Disorders are treated with psychotherapy, to varying degrees of success depending on the PD in question, and the type of psychotherapy.
Contact information Disclaimer Privacy Statement Copyright Information Terms of Service Cookie policy ↑ Back to top