Can I get a security clearance with ADD (III) addictive personality? I have an hon. discharge from DoD.?

Question

My older brother was recently diagnosed with the third type of ADD, it

's the non-hyper "daydreamer" variety. He was put on a non-amphetamine based version of one of the newer drugs. He has a master's degree and is working on his MBA. I'm a military veteran and I served with an entry level special operations unit (though I'm a non-infantryman myself) and completed my enlistment with an honorable discharge and a good conduct medal. I had a BUNCH of problems but I had a very high pft and good rifle scores and I volunteered for deployments ALL the time. That was the only thing that kept me out of trouble :) But people have told me for years that I seem to have something 'wrong with me'. I thought it was laziness but now that I'm in college I have seen specialists and it looks like I have the same diagnosis. I don't want it to limit my life possibilities however. Fighting this problem is very taxing, and I think I will bite the bullet and go on medication. I got a 1300 on my SAT's (older SAT system) and placed about middle of the pack in my graduating class. Very high ASVAB score and all that. But I'm a poor performer over all and can't seem to study or take readable notes. It's really tough, but I'm at wits end. I know I can do better than a 2.3 gpa but I just can't focus.

Will I be able to get a security clearance if I take the non-amphetamine based medication? I know I'm ineligible for military service if I'm on it.

Answer 1

You should be able to get a security clearance, but as you mentioned you will be ineligible for military service.

When the government - or any corporation - looks into people for security clearances, they're looking for a couple of things:

1. Patriotism (are you likely to sell information to tear down the USA)

2. Whether you can be bought out (do you have a lot of debt - would/could you be swayed by money)

3. Mental health (whether there are any skeletons in your closet with which you could be blackmailed; also if you're paranoid/have an addiction/depressed/low self-esteem - these people are easily swayed)

4. Criminal record (self-explanatory)

5. Relatives in hostile nations (gives you the means to divulge Secret or Top Secret information)

ADD has nothing to do with any of those categories, nor does it make you at all likely to divulge state secrets.