Antidepressants and joining the Gardai

Kirby42

Just wondering would being on antidepressants make you ineligible to join the gardai? I was on them for about half a year and will be off them for nearly a year by the time I apply or recruitment opens again.

I know it's pretty much a lost cause if trying to join the Defence Forces so I thought I'd just ask about the Gardai. I would like to serve my country in some way...

djor88

Hi - they won't discriminate against you for that, if you get to the stage where they're looking at that sort of thing you've already passed all the tests and interview, they'll ask you about it at medical etc, but if you're off them and all is good otherwise, I can't see it having much of an effect.

Apply anyway whenever the chance arises

teaisgreat

Someone was deferred from medical cause they mentioned they have taken pills for anxiety during college exams on the day of my medical. Make sure you bring a doctors note to your medical to declare you fit for work in their opinion which may avoid this setback. I don't believe it would rule you out indefinitely, however they would certainly look into it.

wobzilla1

I'm on antidepressants and have not mentioned it up to this stage.
I don't plan to mention it during the medical either.
I know that my depression won't affect me doing the job.

pah

wobzilla1 wrote: »

I'm on antidepressants and have not mentioned it up to this stage.
I don't plan to mention it during the medical either.
I know that my depression won't affect me doing the job.

How do you know that?
Respectfully, it's a very demanding job at times mentally.

wobzilla1

pah wrote: »

How do you know that?
Respectfully, it's a very demanding job at times mentally.

Well I spent 2 years in a tech support call centre being constantly abused by customers and incompetent managers and I wasn't affected then

ShodenMcClane

wobzilla1 wrote: »

Well I spent 2 years in a tech support call centre being constantly abused by customers and incompetent managers and I wasn't affected then

How often did you have to tell people their mother/father/son/daughter died?

thekopend

wobzilla1 wrote: »

Well I spent 2 years in a tech support call centre being constantly abused by customers and incompetent managers and I wasn't affected then

Childs play compared to being a garda

ShodenMcClane

Look, I'm not having a go at you but I have some experience working in the Emergency services as well as having close friends serving for a long time on the force: It's different than anything an office can throw at you, you will come across death and mutilation, you will come across heart breaking situations involving family member of others, you will be at times be under severe amounts of stress. That said I'm not a psychiatrist, and I'm guessing nor is anyone on this forum, you shouldn't be asking for advice on this here, you should be consulting trained professionals.

salamanca22

wobzilla1 wrote: »

Well I spent 2 years in a tech support call centre being constantly abused by customers and incompetent managers and I wasn't affected then

Respectfully, a tech support operative is not in a position of trust and does not hold nearly the same responsibility as someone in the gardai.

If you ended up doing something wrong on the job and it came out you were on these pills and did not declare it how do you think it will be handled?

higglepiggle

I'm pretty sure there's a question on the form to declare any current medication that an applicant would be on.

wobzilla1

What have telling people their family members have died or dealing with gore got to do with anything. You think that'll "make me depressed". My depression makes me depressed and it happens regardless of what I'm doing or anything. The point is that I can still perform a demanding job perfectly when depression does set in.

ShodenMcClane

wobzilla1 wrote: »

The point is that I can still perform a demanding job perfectly when depression does set in.

I did qualify what I said by saying I'm not a physiatrist. If a trained professional agrees with your quote above then more luck to you, I just wouldn't be looking for advice about it here.

Buster89

Be prepared for a wait if you do declare your taking anti depressants. Be aware if you hide it they will find out and you will be dropped from the recruitment.

After your initial medical you'll be asked to send them a report from your doctor. Next they will ask you to come back up to the HQ to meet the psychologist. After that its up to the chief medical officer to sign you off for a fitness test.

Iv'e been waiting nearly 6 months since my initial medical for this process to be complete because of the sheer amount of applications of people taking some form of medication that need to be signed off.