If you been in a hospital psych ward for any reason...

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Does it show up on a background check?

About two years ago, I was in the hospital three times for drunkenness, several major depressive episodes, and anger issues. One of those was after a suicide attempt. Afterwards, I got a lot of help and support, and today I am more or less fine. I haven't had an MDE since, and am happier than I ever was. After college, there's the possibility that I might go into the peace corps. I know that it's what I want, but I'm concerned that my history might have a negative effect on my application.

Does anyone have any idea if this is the case?

Mine's never popped up to my knowledge, but I was a juvenile. Maybe try running a search on yourself?

This is from the Peace Corps site.

The Peace Corps does not have blanket rules excluding applicants with particular conditions and each applicant receives an individualized assessment of his or her condition. If an applicant is not medically cleared for service as a Peace Corps Volunteer, he or she will receive an explanation of the reasons and will have an opportunity to appeal the decision to the Pre-Service Review Board. Medical clearance permissions are not permanent, and someone not medically cleared may later reapply.

If you have any concerns about medical support or other clinical questions, please call the Pre-Service Unit Nurse Line at 1-855-855-1961, extension 4049. You may also email [email protected]. However, because email is not a secure method of communication and there is a chance than an outside party could access your information, we will not be able to discuss sensitive medical information via email.

Terrific, thank you! I should have checked that first, methinks.

Now that that's answered...

Any way to know if I was ever formally diagnosed with anything? I know I have been for ADHD and Asperger's, but I while disorders were thrown at me in the hospital, I never underwent a "test" for anything. Just talked to some therapists. So I dunno if I've been formally diagnosed with any of the stuff they threw at me, the BPD, the Bipolar, the Depression, etc. I know under HIPAA, I can ask for my insurance company to send me my files, but I'm no longer insured. Would I have been given paperwork if I was formally diagnosed?

The insurance company likely has incomplete files. You would have to talk to the records department of the hospital.

If you were taken to the hospital involuntarily, then that requires a judge to sign off on the evaluation, which leaves a short court record, which by law their existence is made known to the public unless sealed. In the case of sealed juvenile records, government agencies are able to get access to sealed cases, but I'm not sure about sealed documents in the cases.

I was in a hospital twice as a minor. I had to personally go to the hospital (suicide attempt) years later to get my records. It had the diagnosis all listed, along with the chart notes (definitely not easy emotionally to read). The other was a state hospital. Twenty-one yrs later that hospital stay showed up on a driving record check (for a substance abuse driving class). I had to call my state's dept of mental health, and all they could really tell me was that it was public bc it was a state funded hospital. I have requested to have it removed as I was a minor. Good luck to you. Have a friend in the PC, and she loves it!

A background check shouldn't show your medical records or history. I believe it only shows legal problems, criminal history, credit history, public records stuff like marriages, divorces, name changes, also place of residence, job history, education. Medical history is a delicate thing and the only way they would find out about that would be if you were court ordered to be in a psych ward, or if you were in a mental hospital (not a psych ward in a regular hospital but a hospital only housing mental patients) and had problems paying your bill and it was either reported to a credit service or you were sued by them. Otherwise, how would they know you were in the hospital anywhere, anytime?

Mine have never popped up.If you are lucky they may have lost them.Switching from paper to computer lost a lot of files.They told me at the clinic they have lost four years of mine
It was when one mental health service took over another one,chaos in the record dept.It also costs money to get copies if they are stored,I doubt most places would do a background check on that.They probably care more that you pee clean.

This is very concerning. Why should going to hospital to get treatment for a medical condition show up on a background check at all? Since when is going to hospital or having a mental illness a criminal offence?

Because we are a minority living in a police state with rules that are secret and ever-changing.
It's kind of like DWB (driving while black) -- it doesn't matter what the law says. If the cop thinks it's a crime, then it's a crime.
And it doesn't matter what the law is today, they can always change it without telling you.

Well I can't prove that it's not a conspiracy. Seems more likely to be due to stigma. Although, since stigma is due to irrational fear, those who are afraid might conspire together to protect themselves from the phantom enemy. So in some ways it is a bit of conspiracy. It's difficult to educate the public, especially when there's so much misinformation on the TV and in the movies (even modern movies). I never went to see that 'side effects' movie, but it sounds like a good way to make money exploiting the stigma of mental illness. There is nothing scary about side effects. They can be annoying, and disgusting, painful, life-wrecking, diahorrea-causing, and even permanent, but what they are not, in general, is dangerous. How many deaths will that movie be indirectly responsible for, for encouraging people and their loved ones to avoid medication that might save a life?

The stats for suicide in mental illness are very very high. We don't need another reason to avoid treatment, such as fear of a tarnished reputation. How and when exactly will people understand - It's an ILLNESS that needs TREATMENT. Yes, my bipolar brain is not neurotypical. I might like to think of it as a difference, rather than disorder. But nowhere on this planet is it an acceptable difference. It also causes me a lot of pain. IF I take medications it's easier for me to function in this world. I don't suffer and cry and scream inside my head. It's treatment for a part of myself, that is simultaneously not myself. Few ordinary neurotypical people will understand that.

As for the need for other people to monitor me, even if I was dangerous in some way, which I am not (okay then, I might cry and have a meltdown about nothing leaving you bewildered, and some people might find that upsetting), well monitoring is completely ridiculous. If I'm monitored, so must everybody else, because humans are naturally dangerous creatures. It is MY responsibility to manage my bipolar, and nobody else can do it for me. I get help when I need it. The idea of some official person or task force watching me is so ludicrous it wouldn't even make a movie plot.

Don't tell your auto insurance company about any mental illness,I stupidly was honest and got a higher rate because of it.Stupid,I've never been stopped or even had a ticket my whole life.

You are aware that admissions to psych units are not reported through NCIC, right? If you have been sentenced to one, or put there by a judge then it will show up, because it went through the court system. Otherwise nobody will find out about it unless you sign a release for them to have access to your private medical records.

I suppose it depends how you went. If you get scheduled, ie committed against your will, there are police involved. If there was a court case involved, then that might come up. I don't know, it's never happened to me.

If you went voluntarily - which I have done - then I don't see why it would. Your medical records don't come up on a background check, do they? In Australia a doctor/hospital can't release medical records without consent from the patient.

That sounds like a discrimination case.
Get a free consultation with a lawyer and, if it seems reasonable,
write a formal letter to the insurance company, ask for a refund, and cc the attorney.