Question about background check?

MEPs Background Check Question?

• I am planning on joining the Air Force. But, in the past due to a very bad relationship between me and my mother as a minor; my mother had put me in counseling. We would have heated arguments; she'd yell and to get my point heard I'd yell/try to talk over her. When that happen she'd call the hospital or the police and try to get me admitted in the hospital. At times she was able to. At one point she had lied to the doctors about my behavior (saying that i did things that I have never done to incriminate me), and based of her stories they had diagnosed me with Bipolar , then we had moved to a new town. Are relationship was still extremely turbulent, and put me back into therapy based off the old diagnosis. The new therapist than gave me Intermittent Explosive Disorder. When I turned 18, however, I had a psych evaluation done was told that I did not have any psychological issues, and that the reactions I had were understandable under circumstances at the time (according to the intake therapist there) and that I should not have been diagnosed at all. So my question is : will all this information come up when the Air Force does it background check at MEPs?

• Answer:

  Short answer: No. HIPAA laws protect your medical information. Add to that the simple fact that there is no way the military can contact every doctor everywhere that you might have gone to. The only way they will find out is if you tell them. If minors are sent to family counselors during their parents' divorce, it usually isn't an issue. Your case sounds a little deeper. Keep your mouth shut. The military training is going to put a lot of stress on you. If there is a chance you actually have Intermittent Explosive Disorder... well, we have enough problems with IEDs already. But if you believe you are fine then keep your mouth shut. The moment you admit to the counseling, you are done. They will demand all documentation and records. There are no do-overs or "oops, j/k, pretend I never said that". There's a bad economy right now. If you give them any reason to doubt you, they will disqualify you.