Mike Lake (whyhope.com) at Fort Bragg, NC in 1989.

These were my nicer experiences at the beginning of my time at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 1989. It was around that time that I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder which is considered a mental illness. It is hard to tell in these videos but I had more of the geeky characteristics of Asperger Syndrome than actual symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. When I find the raw video it may be easier to see.

Perhaps I would never have acted like I had Bipolar Disorder if I could have avoided confrontations and the violent atmosphere expected in army training. As a technician my skills were proven, at least until I sought help with issues of my father having been an alcoholic and they diagnosed me Bipolar. That seems to be when my coping skills started breaking down noticeably.

I now know that belief is an important as fact when it comes to self image, coping, and social skills. Before the army I might have done the best that someone with symptoms like Asperger Syndrome could do to get along. The army taught me new tricks, scary ideas, but the worst was being labeled mentally ill.

Ten years later a civic group claimed in court that people with Bipolar Disorder are known to kill, so my fears of being labeled seem to have had merit. Ask the FBI for they have even come to see me claiming that my letters asking for help from authorities were considered threatening. I never knew how to be threatening until the army. Ask those who knew me before and after.

It might be best if people like me could be kept out of the army, or that the army show respect for our skills and resistance to violence. I am certain that I could kill to save a life. Otherwise it would be an ethical problem which fortunately I never had to face. I can not say the same for most people who seem more willing to engage in violence than myself.

Michael Lake - Toledo, Ohio

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Asperger
• Syndrome
• army
• Fort
• Bragg
• NC

[turdburglerl3]

hey were you with the 82nd?