D minus 98 days.

D minus 98 days.

Preparations for D-day has finally begun, though every cell of my body has been ready for months. Sorted out the days where i will not be around the organisation. In fact, half of October and the whole of November will be spent outside the long arm and far reaches of the organisation.

But this month is a whole different game. Being away at a crucial time of change means that i am forced to accept what is normally unacceptable. Hopefully I'll be able to toss the balls around and deflect a few arrows.

You know the organisation works time in a opposite way from school. When in school last time, the closer you are to say, the exams, the faster time seems to pass, while here in the organisation, the closer you are to your end, the longer time seems to be.

And last but not least, a little something for fellow ORD sufferers. =) (I didn't write it up, found it somewhere in the medical center and subsequently nicked it off the web)

Medical-In-Confidence

OBSESSIVE RETARDATION DISEASE (ORD)
Obsessive Retardation Disease (ORD) is a mental disorder officially recognised by the Regimental Organisation of Doctors (ROD), a paramilitary medical organisation affiliated with the Singapore Armed Forces Medical Corps. First identified in 1967 by the pioneer batch of SAF Medical Officers nearing the end of their military draft, it has since been studied extensively and categorised, despite early controversy over its classification, as a legitimate mental disease.

Contents

1. Origin
2. Symptoms of Obsessive Retardation Disease (ORD)
3. Occurrence
4. Diagnosis
5. Treatment
6. Preventive Measures
7. Conclusion
   

Origin

ORD was first identified and named by CPT (Dr) Orded Loh in 1967. It was christened as such because it was characterised by psychologists specialising in neuroses as a obsessive compulsive disorder which fixates its victim's attention on something in particular, and in so doing degrades the cognitive abilities of its victim ie. retards his mind. CPT (Dr) Loh, who himself succumbed to the disease, was the first to observe that the disease mainly occurred among NSFs, even among those who had no family or personal history of mental illness.

Symptoms of Obsessive Retardation Disease (ORD)

Individuals afflicted by ORD exhibit a variety of symptoms, which upon first sight appear mutually contradictory. Apparent injuries formerly sustained by the afflicted victim, notably those inhibiting vigorous physical activity necessary for rigorous training as a soldier, diminishes at an accelerated rate, usually without accompanying treatment of any form. The phenomenal rate of recuperation ensures that the ORD-stricken serviceman fully recovers by the time he leaves the army. Though less common, but ubiquitous is the observation that some formerly medically unfit servicemen, those assigned PES C or E, recover fast enough to be upgraded back to PES B.

At the same time, perhaps somewhat ironically, the same individuals afflicted with the mental illness have been observed to fall ill more often to common minor illnesses, such as Influenza, diarrhoea (perhaps the most common), fever, sore throats etc. , resulting in an observed increment of medical sick leave (MCs) taken by the ORD personnel. Periods of such medical leave are known to occur in conjunction with outstanding leave or days off. Subjects afflicted with ORD also experiences reduced inhibitions; these individuals are often observed by their normal peers to appear relaxed and generally happier at all times.

General incompetence accompanies their reduced inhibitions; errors identified in the course of duty or work by fellow co-workers or peers are often left uncorrected by the victim even if their existence was acknowledged. The discrepancies in question are often shrugged off by the ORD-afflicted author. ORD also appears to reduce the attention span and concentration intensity of its victims with regards to their everyday work. Perhaps the most bizarrely, patients suffering from ORD have been known to at times, orally exclaim the very name of the disease, followed by a "Loh!" or alternatively "Oh!".

Occurrences

ORD has been observed to affect mostly Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) though NSFs with an overzealous attitude in military service appear to be particularly resistant to the mental disorder, though most would eventually succumb to the disease. With few exceptions, regular servicemen appear to suffer from it only rarely, though the disease tends to affect regular servicemen nearing the end of their military contract, largely those emplaced on short term schemes. The disorder has also been observed to be mysteriously absent in NSFs pending absorption into regular service.
Diagnosis

As with most mental aberrations ORD is difficult to diagnose definitively because no physical symptoms manifest themselves in its victim. Prognosis of ORD consists of usually no more than verifying the date of official discharge of the NSF concerned as less than three months away, though early warning symptoms may present themselves earlier than expected. A serviceman may be diagnosed with ORD when he has been observed to have at most less than three months of service balance and exhibits most or all of the above symptoms.

Treatment

At present, no lasting form of treatment exists for victims of ORD. Drugs commonly prescribed for other obsessive-compulsive disorders appear to have little discernible effect on ORD. More paradoxically, befitting its status as a mental anomaly, victims of ORD are usually content to remain in their current state and often refuse attempted treatment of any form. This observation concurs with its identified categorisation as an obsessive-compulsive disorder, with the exception that its presence is usually cheerfully acknowledged by the sufferer.

Effective short-term treatment include prolonging the date of their official discharge, forfeiture of leave balance and days off, as well as assignment of extra weekend duties, all of which appears to dampen the ecstasy experienced by ORD sufferers.

Preventive Measures

At present, no effective preventive measures exist to circumvent the inevitable onset of ORD for NSFs nearing the end of their service, though it has been observed that threatening the ORD sufferer with the treatment as outlined above depreciates the inception of the disorder.

As with treatment, would-be sufferers of ORD often refuse to take any form of preventive measure against ORD, and more often than not, in fact, eagerly await the onset of ORD.

Conclusion

Despite various extensive studies ever since its discovery, ORD remains an enigma to most SAF psychologists seeking to understand the disease better. The above exposition should serve to aid superiors in better understanding and elucidating the omnipresent mental disorder which would eventually befall their subordinates.

Medical-In-Confidence

ORD LOH!