Should I?

[nlualum82]

I have a few strange thoughts bouncing around, occassionally allow myself a little anger or fantasy, but I'm not a threat to anyone including myself.

I have didged any chance to open up about any such thing because I don't want to risk the doc over-reacting. My rights to won a gun, even to keep my concealed weapons permit are more important to me than another SC and a bigger check.

Should I elaborate and just let it all out? Or stick to the program.

Not dangerous, just avoid people who may be or have demontrated that they are confrontational and aggressive. I prefer to spend an irrational amount of time in bed.

[Testvet]

My memory isn't the best in the world when it comes to this stuff, but I am pretty sure on the paperwork it asks if your are receiving mental health treatment or have been diagnosed with a mental health problem, so either they have stopped or you are committing perjury or swearing to a false document

[nlualum82]

It has been years since my license was issued, up for renewal in a couple of years.

I asked alot at first and was told that it is not automatically a disqualifier - if you are doing satisfactory on the treatment, never been committed, etc.

Can you imagine how few permits there would be in the NW if being on prozac or seeing a mental health professional was a disqualifier?

[nlualum82]

I have been very upfront with my VA shrink from the beginning about my concerns over maintaining my gun rights. I suppose he would tell me if I'd crossed any threshold.

I should check the wording of the requirements again to see, but I have just availed myself to treatment, not been judged dangerous, committed, etc. - no history that raises red flags.

[Wings]

South Med J. 2003 Mar;96(3):240-3.

A survey of gun collection and use among three groups of veteran patients admitted to veterans affairs hospital treatment programs.

Freeman TW, Roca V, Kimbrell T.

Mental Health Service, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Arkansas School of Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA. thomas.freeman@med.va.gov

BACKGROUND: An important risk factor for suicide is psychiatric illness, but only a limited amount of work has been directed at assessing the use of firearms and other weapons by select psychiatric populations at high risk for violent acts. METHOD: Patients with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), patients with schizophrenia, and patients undergoing rehabilitation for substance abuse were asked to complete a weapons-use survey and measures of psychopathology. RESULTS: The PTSD patients surveyed related owning more than four times as many firearms as other subjects and reported significantly higher levels of potentially dangerous firearm-related behaviors than the other psychiatric subjects surveyed. CONCLUSION: High levels of aggression, impulsive and dangerous weapon use, and ready weapon availability may be significant factors in gun-related violence in the PTSD patient population. Additional prospective research is needed to determine whether gun ownership or certain types of weapon use in this population is associated with future acts of violence.

PMID: 12659354 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

J Nerv Ment Dis. 2001 May;189(5):317-20.

Gun use, attitudes toward violence, and aggression among combat veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder.

Freeman TW, Roca V.

North Little Rock PTSD Program, North Little Rock VAMC, Arkansas 72114, USA.

Vietnam veterans with chronic combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been frequently reported to exhibit high levels of aggression and violent behavior. In this study, gun collection and use habits, attitudes toward violence, and self-reported levels of aggression were compared between veterans with chronic PTSD and non-PTSD veterans with equivalent histories of alcohol and substance abuse. PTSD patients reported different attitudes toward violent crime, higher levels of self-reported aggression, and a significantly higher incidence of potentially dangerous firearm-related behaviors than comparison subjects.

PMID: 11379976 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]