Would a social phobe benefit from joining the army

KiaKaha

KiaKaha

Banned
I have been thinking about the army. If I wasnt so insecure, and awkward around people I would join right away....but I am.. I would like to try it, just to see if I could do it, and finally do something with myself that I can be proud of.

Anyway, do you think joining would..ultimately, be beneficial to someone who is a little quiet, kind of gentle and has the social skills of a fish?

I mean, it might actually help in those areas...kind of an extreme form of exposure therapy...

Btw, it would be the NZ army not the US army, I think we do things a little differently here...
 
Dronee

Dronee

1
This almost exact thread has been made before I believe though the thread is about 'conscription' (forced and compulsory military service)...

I think it depends on the exact nature of the military you're in and the people you're with. My country has conscription so everyone gets a taste of military life to some degree. Some people benefit from it and become more confident. Others lost whatever confidence they've left due to terrible comrades who bully them.

Most people do become much fitter though so that's always a bonus... Anyway, it's the people you do end up with that matters the most in my opinion. And should you get your own command, you'll have to learn how to manage people. Not quite the same as actual socializing though since in the military, the hierarchy is more clearly defined. Now socializing with the other recruits can be beneficial though... depends on what kind of people they are.
 
coyote

coyote

Well-known member
ShyKiwi said:
I have been thinking about the army. If I wasnt so insecure, and awkward around people I would join right away....but I am.. I would like to try it, just to see if I could do it, and finally do something with myself that I can be proud of.

Anyway, do you think joining would..ultimately, be beneficial to someone who is a little quiet, kind of gentle and has the social skills of a fish?
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That's exactly the reason I joined the U.S. Marine Corps right out of high school.

That, and I couldn't afford college. Plus I wanted adventure (I still do)!

It did help in a lot of ways, but it didn't change who I was.

I was still anxious the whole time I was in. I just learned how to gut through it - something I'm still doing to this day.

And I got some good adventures out of it!

I met some guys in the New Zealand Navy - they were a riot!
 
EasySkanking

EasySkanking

1
I want to join the Navy Seals some day.... unless I can get this **** piece of work life that I've created - which I still have hope that I can do :).

If the army isn't good for me, at least I wont be sitting on my ass here everyday and I will be forced to socialize. Plus, I get to kill people, so that could be fun :rolleyes::D:cool:. Like I said, still better than doing nothing.
 
lunaticbinge

lunaticbinge

Well-known member
EasySkankin2 said:
I want to join the Navy Seals some day.... unless I can get this **** piece of work life that I've created - which I still have hope that I can do :).

If the army isn't good for me, at least I wont be sitting on my ass here everyday and I will be forced to socialize. Plus, I get to kill people, so that could be fun :rolleyes::D:cool:. Like I said, still better than doing nothing.
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LOL! Not to discourage you but theres only 8 teams of SEALs even in service. The training is 30 months long and even after the bulk of it only 25% of candidates make it through hell week. If you think your up for it though more power to you!
 
Predacon

Predacon

Well-known member
Thats a tough one. From I've seen of the NZ army it looks like a reasonably run organisation and if you're into structure and routine it might the place for you.
 
fitftw

fitftw

Well-known member
Seals are hardcore. I was in the regular Navy from 2005-2009. Best decision I made in my life. Still wasn't very social and people thought I was a bit weird. But I got through it.
 
EasySkanking

EasySkanking

1
lunaticbinge said:
LOL! Not to discourage you but theres only 8 teams of SEALs even in service. The training is 30 months long and even after the bulk of it only 25% of candidates make it through hell week. If you think your up for it though more power to you!
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Are you suggesting that I couldn't do it?

The only thing I worry about is my social anxiety...

I used to be in super good physical shape. I used to work out regularly for a good 4 years sometimes 3-4 hours at a time. I've overcome some pretty bad OCD... I feel I'm pretty strong mentally. I don't think I have anything that could stop me from doing it, except my SA.

Even if I didn't make it... it'd still be fun and I could just join the Marines or soemthin' :cool: Oh yeah, I have a very high IQ, so I think that could be of help to me too ;)
 
lunaticbinge

lunaticbinge

Well-known member
EasySkankin2 said:
Are you suggesting that I couldn't do it?

The only thing I worry about is my social anxiety...

I used to be in super good physical shape. I used to work out regularly for a good 4 years sometimes 3-4 hours at a time. I've overcome some pretty bad OCD... I feel I'm pretty strong mentally. I don't think I have anything that could stop me from doing it, except my SA.

Even if I didn't make it... it'd still be fun and I could just join the Marines or soemthin' :cool: Oh yeah, I have a very high IQ, so I think that could be of help to me too ;)
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No, no i'm not saying you can't. I just didn't know if you knew what you were getting in to and it seems like you do. As fitftw said they are freakin' hardcore.
 
Kiwong

Kiwong

Well-known member
The military would not be helpful to my anxiety at all. I need time alone, and I don't think that would be possible in the army. I do not take orders kindly from anyone. And I am a pacifist.
 
Ashiene

Ashiene

Well-known member
I think that for people with social anxiety, who already have very low confidence and self-esteem, certain things in the military, like absolute obedience to your superiors, can make one feel helpless and hopeless and worsen the problems he already has.
 
coyote

coyote

Well-known member
Ashiene said:
....absolute obedience to your superiors....
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We don't have this in the military I served in.

We are part of a team. Everyone is trained to be a leader.

We're trained to think for ourselves and do the right thing in the right situation.

Some of the most highly decorated and respected Marines are the ones who told their superiors to get screwed.
 
Luke1993

Luke1993

Well-known member
It would be my dream to be in the Navy! I feel it would help me a lot. Problem is I don't think I would meet the standards because of some physical and eyesight problems. But once I'm 18 I will try to join and see what happens!
 
EasySkanking

EasySkanking

1
^Nice! You were a marine coyote?

I would like to join a unit that's going to kick my ass and treat me like ****. I'm at my best when I am put up against the wall and have to rely on my survival skills, so If I do join I'd like it to be in the toughest most bad-ass unit, or wont join at all :p.
 
Tiercel

Tiercel

Well-known member
I thought about the military before. But then I was 25, horribly out of shape, depressed and anxious as all hell, and I have that screwed up right ankle that keeps me from running. Hell, it hurts for days if I spend too much time just walking around. Now I'm about 10 years too old and I'm much too cynical to seriously think about it. But if I joined at all I would have wanted to be a medic or a Corpsman. To me, saving someone's life sounds a bit more appealing than taking one.

But now my self-esteem is so far below zero, I fail before I even try anything. And I've read enough war books to know I'd never willingly put myself in any of those situations. Conversely, if any of you servicemen (or women) write a memoir about your time, I'll gladly read it. :)

The way I see it, a social phobe will either improve, suffer through it, or do everything in his power to get the heck out.

Edit: EasySkankin2, have you ever read Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell? If you like SEALs, you'll probably love it. He talks about his training, the moral decision that cost the rest of his team their lives, and his time in the care of an Afghan doctor. And an evil Pepsi bottle, too, if my memory serves me well. ;)
 
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