I was medically retired and had all of my employment options taken from me, how do I move on?

2014-11-30T06:00:15-05:00

I was medevac'd from Iraq with Bipolar and was medically retired after 9 1/2 years of service. I have only ever wanted two things in my life; to serve in the Army and to fly as a Warrant Officer. Those were taken from me as soon as the Doctor said Bipolar. My back up plan was to be a Police Officer, again that is a no go. Now I'm completely lost and need help. What's next?

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 30 at 2014 6:19 AM

2014-11-30T06:19:27-05:00

You could look into a different job in Law Enforcement other that a Police Officer that sparks your interest.

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 30 at 2014 7:28 AM

2014-11-30T07:28:50-05:00

Sorry to hear about this SSG Regina Golding. My mantra has always been, when one door closes, another one opens. I a not sure what your VA disability rating is, but I would recommend checking with the VA (and career counselor) to see if you are eligible for voc rehab. Also, I am assuming you have the 9-11 GI Bill. Stop into one of your local colleges and speak with a career counselor. They have a variety of quick surveys you can take to see what careers match your interests.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Nov 30 at 2014 8:09 AM

2014-11-30T08:09:34-05:00

Sorry to hear that SSG Regina Golding, that's a tough blow. I think a number of us have faced setbacks in our lives, medical or otherwise. Here's what I can offer, having gone through some medical issues myself:

1. PMA - positive mental attitude.

2. Never give up. Seek counseling and support wherever you can find it. Here on RP is a great place to start. Col Private RallyPoint Member makes some great suggestions. Its natural to have feelings of anger and frustration so find an outlet - a new hobby, a volunteer project, etc. to channel your feelings - that's what my counselor told me.

3. Educate yourself. Understand what you have, how its treated and not so much your limitations but how to work within the scope of what you have. This site may help: http://www.bphope.com/Item.aspx?id=526

4. Keep moving forward, one day at a time. You can do it.

I suffered a seizure, got diagnosed with diabetes - ended up in a coma and almost lost my wife to a severe infection some years back. Its tough to swallow each of those pills but you do and you live to see tomorrow.

This site http://ptsdecompress.com/ was started by one of our RallyPoint members SSG Robert Burns. It is still in its infancy and it is more geared towards PTSD but you may find some discussions that you could benefit from.

Response by PO2 Corey Ferretti made Nov 30 at 2014 8:26 AM

2014-11-30T08:26:45-05:00

SSG Regina Golding Don't maintain the attitude of everything was taken from you. This will almost certainly kill you it about killed me. There are many things you can do you just need to find what that is. Don't give up; research other jobs in legal community find something that interest you then call and talk to them to get an idea of what you would be doing. Then go to school. Don't let this defeat you; do not let Bipolar define who you are. You are Regina Golding and you have Bipolar you are not Bipolar who name is Regina Golding. You can live a fruitful life with Bi-Polar Disorder. I let PTSD Define who i was for a long time and my life sucked for a long time.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/bipolar-disorder-pictures/career-success-strategies-for-bipolar-disorder.aspx

Response by CPT Richard Riley made Nov 30 at 2014 8:38 AM

2014-11-30T08:38:54-05:00

You have good suggestions here to abide by and plenty of support here on the site so don't be afraid to use each to the fullest. I would suggest you tackle the medical issue first and foremost. Until you have that corralled everything else will present difficulty. There are an abundance of websites geared to this issue, become very familiar and informed with this problem so you can make the best decisions for YOU.

As those before me here have said, when one door closes another opens. Yes it is an old cliche but it rings true. You can also throw in 'everything happens for a reason'. Neither solve the problem but will help you obtain a better understanding. Maybe a good place to start your knowledge journey is here: http://www.va.gov/QUALITYOFCARE/education/understand-your-condition.asp

I was able to find this definition quickly: Although people may recognize the term "bipolar disorder," you may be a little less familiar with the term "bipolar depression." Bipolar depression refers to the depressive moods or lows of bipolar disorder. While symptoms of both bipolar depression and bipolar mania can cause problems for people with bipolar disorder, some people report that bipolar depression tends to have a greater impact. In general, episodes of bipolar depression last longer than episodes of bipolar mania, and when they are ill, people with bipolar disorder experience depressive symptoms at least 3 times as often as they do manic symptoms. In addition, recovering from depressive episodes typically takes longer than it does for manic episodes.

Stay in touch here and continue to do your best to take care of yourself. Ultimately that is the goal all of us are shooting for.

Understand Your Condition - Quality of Care

Understanding medical conditions can be difficult. VA Quality of Care provides resources to make sense of complicated diseases and medical jargon.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Nov 30 at 2014 8:42 AM

2014-11-30T08:42:45-05:00

Hi SSG Regina Golding -- thanks for posting this thread about your feelings and your situation. I agree with all the advice given thus far, so I won't repeat it again here. Just know that we are all here for you as your battle buddies to your left and right, and we will do our best to support and encourage you.

What other professions might you be interested in, aside from the ones you mentioned that are a no-go for you?

Response by TSgt Earl Morgan made Nov 30 at 2014 11:26 AM

2014-11-30T11:26:40-05:00

SSG Golding,
You may want to look at starting a small business. The number of veterans owning a business is grow:
https://www.sba.gov/content/veteran-service-disabled-veteran-owned
http://www.va.gov/osdbu/entrepreneur/
http://www.vboc.org/
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/222649

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 30 at 2014 11:42 AM

2014-11-30T11:42:05-05:00

Well ma'am, Find something that you care about and see if it can apply to a career field. Personally my aversion to a shirt and tie and love of outdoors has pushed me towards Forestry. I know that may not be your own cup of tea but finding something that you want to do is surely something that would ease your mind and maybe give you back the pride you had while serving.

Response by SSG Tim Everett made Dec 1 at 2014 8:57 AM

2014-12-01T08:57:02-05:00

You're not lost, you've just had a little setback. An unsolicited piece of advice for you from my dear old grandpa: "obstacles are what we see when we take our eyes off the objective."

A few people have recommended the VA. I'd like to echo that. That agency needs all the help it can get, preferably from prior service.

Response by MAJ Chris Ballard made Dec 4 at 2014 7:55 AM

2014-12-04T07:55:11-05:00

It's a tough thing when what you thought was your plan suddenly takes a 90 degree turn and you find yourself off your chosen path. I had a similar thing happen to me when I was wounded.

The first thing I would say is stop fighting it. What you resist persists, and if you're stuck in the conversation that "my dreams were taken from me," and "this isn't fair" (trust me, I'm familiar with the thoughts) you'll never see other opportunities that arise. They're all around, and sometimes they lie in directions you could never have seen yourself going. Had I not been willing to admit that I might have difficulty in working a traditional job, I would never have been open to the possibility of starting my own business, and I would have missed out big time.

Response by SSG Trevor S. made Feb 7 at 2015 10:49 PM

2015-02-07T22:49:34-05:00

I see you are trained in the technical background of the Signal Corps. There are all sorts of jobs out there that appreciate that experience. I also see that you are in college. Have you obtained A+, N+, Security+, and/or an FCC license? With those and your aviation background I would imagine employment in airport IT support would be a good avenue to explore.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 7 at 2015 11:23 PM

2015-02-07T23:23:49-05:00

As its been echoed here, PO2 Corey Ferretti stated it spot on, "do not let Bipolar define who you are", you define it, you tell it it's boundaries, not the other way around.

As with anything, whether a mental or physical illness, is to stay on our treatment plan. Being in the military, we're able to work in very structured environment. One strategy is to look at careers that may have you as part of a team; definitive project with timelines/deadlines; look at the specific details of the job description is this something you can do; what are your work hours; is there a "chain of command".

Sleep impacts our ability to be part of a daily structure. Its important that adequate sleep is part of daily regimen to cope with working longer hours, switching shifts like in nursing for example, or working days and then having to switch to nights.

Be flexible, it's another military trait we all learned. Being flexible can help deal with the stressors in a job environment. You might be the type that goes in early or likes the late shift. So it can be less stressful, and that may help with banking sick time. In case you feel ill, you got the time covered.

Being a nurse, there's a lot of responsibility but also schedule changes or maybe you like a challenge where you can be more productive. Does you medical issue impact your career. Would you have to disclose your condition? With proper medical documentation bipolar disorder is a legally protect disability. You could find that many employers can be very supportive.

SSG Regina Golding, there are options out there, we just have to search a little harder than most. I know, I'm going through that right now. Here I thought I was going to get that $40k-$65K job and I end up working for a little non-profit that can barely afford to pay me. But you know what, I have a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose. It's what's keeping me from going stark raving mad. I look at it as another thing I can add to my resume. One day at a time, one step at a time.

Response by Cpl Clinton Britt made Feb 7 at 2015 11:29 PM

2015-02-07T23:29:17-05:00

Is your condition service related? Try for Compensation

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 8 at 2015 1:35 AM

2015-02-08T01:35:16-05:00

SSG Regina Golding. WTF . . . I know a lot about the bipolar disorders . . . this doesn't sound like any competent diagnosis, treatment, and followup by someone with any significant amount of experience with bipolar patients. What are his/her specific bipolar training / diagnosis / treatment qualifications?

Who told you that all of your employment options were taken away from you . . . and raised any question about your future? This is some of the most asinine advice I have ever heard. Some of our most creative, talented, and valuable people actually have bipolar disorder . . . and many believe it is the source of their unique individual productivity. Do not give up because some poorly trained doctor wanted to play God . . . the future can be very bright and personally and professionally rewarding for many bipolar individuals.

The bottom line . . . get a completely independent second opinion . . . because you indicate you were diagnosed and medivac'd from deployment . . . where you could well have experienced significant stress and/or trauma . . . but our military doctors have quite a long history of trying to diagnose troops with something other than PTSD . . . to avoid the specter of any potential service connected disability claim.

In the interim . . . please see the extensive list ( below ) of a few brilliant, talented, wealthy, and famous personalities who share the diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

You may also find Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison's books (available in paperback) about her experiences with bipolar disorder and many other famous people with bipolar disorder very interesting and enlightening . . .

o An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness

o Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament

o Nothing Was the Same

Kay is a friend who was diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder in 1973/74 and is now Tenured Professor of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Kay won numerous awards and published over one hundred academic articles. She was named as one of the Best Doctors in the United States and was chosen by Time Magazine as a "Hero of Medicine." She was also chosen as one of the five individuals for the PBS TV Series Great Minds of Medicine. In 2001 she won the MacArthur Fellowship "Genius" Award.

The bipolar disorders have become a fashionable misdiagnosis for many other conditions . . . and we now have many excellent medications ( lithium, depakote, tegretol, lamictal, etc ) that are very effective in the control of bipolar symptoms. There are excellent programs to pay for these meds if you are not insured.

While the mere fact of diagnosis qualifies you to be protected from employment discrimination under federal and state disability discrimination laws . . . bipolar is definitely not a hopelessly devastating career ender.

I see that you are pursuing a psychology degree . . . academia is very accepting of bipolar people . . . because many brilliant and talented academic with bipolar disorder populate our universities.

The most significant risk for bipolar individuals is deep depression and risk of possible suicide when they feel they are well enough to stop taking their prescribed medicine . . . so if you are on bipolar medicine please keep taking it as prescribed . . . until someone with more bipolar expertise does a more thorough workup and thoroughly reviews any potential alternatives and the risks and benefits of those alternatives with you.

Please contact me privately to discuss: [login to see]

Warmest Regards, Sandy

===========================
Famous People with Bipolar Disorder
===========================

o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZnAG38CWZI

Actors & Actresses

Ned Beatty
Maurice Bernard, soap opera
Jeremy Brett
Jim Carey
Lisa Nicole Carson
Rosemary Clooney, singer
Lindsay Crosby
Eric Douglas
Robert Downey Jr.
Patty Duke
Carrie Fisher
Connie Francis, singer and actress
Shecky Greene, comedian
Linda Hamilton
Moss Hart, actor, director, playright
Mariette Hartley
Margot Kidder
Vivien Leigh
Kevin McDonald, comedian
Kristy McNichols
Burgess Meredith, actor, director
Spike Milligan, actor, writer
Spike Mulligan, comic actor and writer
Nicola Pagett
Ben Stiller, actor, director, writer
David Strickland
Lili Taylor
Tracy Ullman
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Robin Williams
Jonathon Winters, comedian

Artists

Alvin Alley, dancer, choreogapher
Ludwig Von Beethoven
Tim Burton, artist, director
Francis Ford Coppola, director
George Fredrick Handel, composer
Bill Lichtenstein, producer
Joshua Logan, broadway director, producer
Vincent Van Gogh, painter
Gustav Mahier, composer
Francesco Scavullo, artist, photographer
Robert Schumann, composer
Don Simpson, movie producer
Norman Wexler, screenwriter, playwright

Entrepreneurs

Robert Campeau
Pierre Peladeau
Heinz C. Prechter
Ted Turner, media giant

Financiers

John Mulheren
Murray Pezim

Miscellaneous

Buzz Aldrin, astronaut
Clifford Beers, humanitarian
Garnet Coleman, legislator (Texas)
Larry Flynt, publisher and activist
Kit Gingrich, Newt's mom
Phil Graham, owner of Washington Post
Peter Gregg, team owner and manager, race car driver
Susan Panico (Susan Dime-Meenan), business executive
Sol Wachtier, former New York State Chief Judge

Musicians

Elvis Presley
Ludwig van Beethoven, composer
Alohe Jean Burke, musician, vocalist
Rosemary Clooney, singer
DMX Earl Simmons, rapper and actor
Ray Davies
Lenny Dee
Gaetano Donizetti, opera singer
Peter Gabriel
Jimi Hendrix
Kristen Hersh (Throwing Muses)
Phyllis Hyman
Jack Irons
Daniel Johnston
Otto Klemperer, musician, conductor
Oscar Levant, pianist, composer, television
Phil Ochs, musician, political activist, poet
John Ogden, composer, musician
Jaco Pastorius
Charley Pride
Mac Rebennack (Dr. John)
Jeannie C. Riley
Alys Robi, vocalist in Canada
Axl Rose
Nick Traina
Del Shannon
Phil Spector, musician and producer
Sting, Gordon Sumner, musician, composer
Tom Waits, musician, composer
Brian Wilson, musician, composer, arranger
Townes Van Zandt, musician, composer

Poets

John Berryman
C.E. Chaffin, writer, poet
Hart Crane
Randall Jarrell
Jane Kenyon
Robert Lowell
Sylvia Plath
Robert Schumann
Delmore Schwartz

Political

Robert Boorstin, special assistant to President Clinton
L. Brent Bozell, political scientist, attorney, writer
Bob Bullock, ex secretary of state, state comptroller and lieutenant governer
Winston Churchill
Kitty Dukasis, former First Lady of Massachusetts
Thomas Eagleton, lawyer, former U.S. Senator
Lynne Rivers, U.S. Congress
Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States
French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte

Scientists

Karl Paul Link, chemist
Dimitri Mihalas

Sports

Shelley Beattie, bodybuilding, sailing
John Daly, golf
Muffin Spencer-Devlin, pro golf
Ilie Nastase, tennis
Jimmy Piersail, baseball player, Boston Red Sox, sports announcer
Barret Robbins, football
Wyatt Sexton, football
Alonzo Spellman, football
Darryl Strawberry, baseball
Dimitrius Underwood, football
Luther Wright, basketball
Bert Yancey, athlete

TV & Radio

Dick Cavett
Jay Marvin, radio, writer
Jane Pauley

Writers

Louis Althusser, philosopher, writer
Honors de Balzac
Art Buchwald, writer, humorist
Neal Cassady
Patricia Cornwell
Margot Early
Kaye Gibbons
Johann Goethe
Graham Greene
Abbie Hoffman, writer, political activist
Kay Redfield Jamison, writer, psychologist
Peter Nolan Lawrence
Frances Lear, writer, editor, women's rights activist
Rika Lesser, writer, translator
Kate Millet
Robert Munsch
Margo Orum
Edgar Allen Poe
Theodore Roethke
Lori Schiller, writer, educator
Frances Sherwood
Scott Simmie, writer, journalist
August Strindberg
Mark Twain
Joseph Vasquez, writer, movie director
Mark Vonnegut, doctor, writer
Sol Wachtler, writer, judge
Mary Jane Ward
Virginia Woolf

A-Z OF FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER

PARHAMSCAN MUSIC & VIDEO: http://www.reverbnation.com/parhamscan?profile_view_source=header_icon_nav TWITTER: https://twitter.com/parhamscan FACEBOOK: https:...

Response by TSgt Kevin Buccola made Feb 8 at 2015 2:38 AM

2015-02-08T02:38:20-05:00

http://www.vacareers.va.gov/peer-to-peer/

contact VAforVets .... http://vaforvets.va.gov/ They can help you

Response by MSgt Jim Pollock made Feb 8 at 2015 2:53 AM

2015-02-08T02:53:30-05:00

I'm going to reiterate what SFC Lewis suggested...Absolutely make an appointment for a Voc Rehab assessment with the VA.

I retired under similar circumstances as you. I was an aircrew member, but deteriorating eyesight disqualified me. I retired in lieu of a reclass since I was over 20. Like you, all of my education and training revolved around a flight career after retirement. Not possible given my medical status, so I understand your apprehension about entering the civilian world without an obviously marketable skill.

Voc Rehab will change all that. You'll be given a career interest inventory that matches your interests/attitudes to specific civilian jobs. You'll work with your counselor to choose a new career that is not only suitable, but in demand. Then you'll make a plan to make it happen.

the best part is that voc rehab training (ch. 31) is like 'super' GI Bill. Everything is paid 100% plus a stipend. By everything, I mean just that. Tuition, fees, supplies...if you need a laptop or printer, you'll get one. Free. Even better, if you paid into the GI Bill, you can double up and increase your monthly stipend.

For those that qualify, there is no better VA benefit. I'm just about finished with my voc rehab-funded Masters degree and have an interview coming up for an entry-level environmental scientist position.

Make an appointment today. Benefits like this disappear quickly in this political climate. Feel free to contact me if you'd like to discuss in more detail.

Good luck!

Response by SGT Steven Eugene Kuhn MBA made Feb 8 at 2015 3:32 AM

2015-02-08T03:32:44-05:00

Sorry to hear of the misfortune SSG Regina Golding but it seems you have so very much support here, good for you and bravo to those who take time to help a fellow Veteran.

My suggestion is the following:
1. Decide if you wish to use the Federal time towards retirement and stay State or Federal. This will then dictate your direction.
2. Decide what it is you always wanted to do besides the Army career, see it as a new beginning and a chance to do anything you want.
3. Choose something that is marketable and long term as well as something that covers your income should you need to take time off.
4. Laser focus on that which you decide to do and stop at nothing, and allow no one to hold you back.
I have been there, I feel for you but this happened to you for a reason, it is a positive reason, find it!
Steady on,
Steven

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Feb 8 at 2015 1:58 PM

2015-02-08T13:58:23-05:00

SSG Golding - Regina, Lt Sandy Annala and others have given you great info re counseling and treatment. You need to do this.

Whatever diagnosis you are ultimately given, based on the providers you see, it is vital for your safety and well being that you follow through with the program they lay out, including medications, talk therapy, group therapy, etc. I also can't emphasize enough that "self-medicating" with Alcohol or drugs (e.g. Pot) might make you feel good in the moment, but in the long run will cause you huge setbacks, so if you use any of these, please get help to quit; a 12 step program such as AA can help there if you are having problems. Giving up any intoxicant is, in itself, a very stressful thing, so you need help there.

You served in the Army for almost 10 years. Take away a sense of accomplishment. You are an E6 - I know lots of folks in longer than you who aren't even E5's yet, so you've done quite well. You know how to push through adversity, so you need to keep on doing that - DON'T GIVE UP!!!!

If you are feeling despondent, call the VA helpline at [login to see] (Talk) and press option 1. They are available 24/7 to help you if you are in a crisis mode.

Employment as a VA Peer Support Counselor is an option for you, but you must be in treatment for at least a year as far as I understand, before you can do this. The VA also requires you to have attended Peer Support training first, before they hire you. Civilian clinics who hire Peer Support Counselors often give you a year to get the training after they've hired you. In addition, many on the list have mentioned other options for employment.

This is a huge blow to your professional sense of self-worth. Don't let it destroy you. As you can see from all the responses here, there is lots of love and support here for you. Each and every one of us is suffering in one way or another, so we can all relate. Take care of yourself and be KIND TO YOURSELF...

If you were medically retired, this means you should be eligible for TRICARE coverage - use Standard, not Prime, as it's much more flexible. This will allow you to go to any civilian provider who will accept TRICARE payment, even if they are not TRICARE network providers. This means you have 3 options for medical care: An MTF, if you choose so and live near one, a VAMC - again, if you choose to and live near one, or if you don't like your government options, you can use private providers. This generally makes things more convenient for you.

As far as all your benefits go, please contact me off line and I'll discuss them with you - I am a trained DAV Service Officer, among other things.

Your retirement status will not keep you from working legally. However, if the VA awarded you 100% level compensation based on Individual Unemployability, or if you have Social Security Disability, you cannot work full time or maintain "Gainful Employment" so you are limited in your earning capacity. Some have said if this is the case, volunteer - I did so for many years.

What disability programs you're on will determine what options you have, and again, we can talk offline about them.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2015 3:50 AM

2015-02-09T03:50:44-05:00

If you feel you are not Bi-polar, invest in the money to get the diagnosis reversed and removed from your records. Perfect example: our son was diagnosed with ADD, but we noticed there was other things too, migraines, writing words backwards, difficulty reading...he was dyslexic, which made him fidget in class because he was nervous that the teacher was going to call on him. We got him into a dyslexic school learning program and he had now excelled, we now have an additional diagnosis we are working through, Aspergers...

Response by 1SG David Lopez made Feb 10 at 2015 5:08 AM

2015-02-10T05:08:44-05:00

Wow, there is alot of love and support on RP. Great to see Veterans stepping up to offer good advice and words of encouragement. Regina, life after the military is wonderful. You proved you could accomplish the military, you can do whatever to put your mind to in the future.

Response by SSG Regina Golding made Feb 16 at 2015 7:30 AM

2015-02-16T07:30:01-05:00

I want to thank everyone of you who took the time to respond to my post, it means a lot and I am very appreciative. Thanks again.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Apr 22 at 2015 1:36 PM

2015-04-22T13:36:40-04:00

Bipolar 1? What is your VA %? This is like a baseline to go by.

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Jul 19 at 2015 3:41 PM

2015-07-19T15:41:15-04:00

First of all, SSG Regina Golding, remember the higher ranking position that you held in the Army. You were a leader. You are STILL a LEADER.
All is NOT lost. Please do not define yourself with the Bipolar disorder. Don't let it define you.
There are plenty of things that you CAN do. (For one thing you are NOT Physically disabled; that I know of. Please correct me if I am wrong.) What do you LIKE to do? What do you LOVE to do?
Also, think about the HELPING professions and jobs. You could help VETERANS; for instance.
Maybe you could start your own business. Maybe you could do freelance work; like I do.
I am 100% s/c: mentally ill, stress disorder. And I have PTSD from all of the trauma that I have been through.
I am a freelance photographer....self-taught.
I am also a Soldiers' Angel. (I help soldiers and veterans on Facebook.)
Good luck, and fervent prayers for you.
With Love, SPC Margaret Higgins

Response by SFC Quinn Chastant made May 12 at 2019 11:25 AM

2019-05-12T11:25:48-04:00

Some of what I say, may not be to your liking, but I hope it can help. Even I have had to work through some issues after returning to civilian life from deployment.

I'll not address the psychologies, or other aspects which are medical in nature and may come under HIPPA Laws, but I'll offer some suggestions. While some aspects of future employment possibilities may now be disallowed, not all are. Assuming, you are in treatment and you have the ability to function well overall. Assess what activities keep you engaged with your peers and near age group peers. Continuing education in Recreation and Recreational Therapies could provide gainful employment with Rehabilitative functions with both private and federal sector employment opportunities (DOD & VA). As a Recreational Aid or Therapist, you can interact in a positive way with your fellow Veterans in a variety of setting. Another aspect is Physical And Rehabilitation Therapists. They will often work with Recreational Therapists as well. Bi-polar is not an end point. It is just another aspect of yourself you need to work with and understand of yourself. Like with PTSD, there are good and bad days, however, having a set goal you are working towards, you can reach anything even if it means asking for help as you've done here. Just reassess your goals, for now. Work with a counselor you are comfortable with. Don't give up on yourself, you aren't damaged goods, or broken. You like myself, need to understand that. Please use the people in the VA or Active Duty Facilities you are authorized medical care through as a medical retiree. Best regards for moving forward.