Thanks, Orion, and thanks to your wife for her responsible, cautious approach to diagnostic labels.
Particularly dangerous to an individual's rights would be a "common sense" gun law that prohibited gun possession by anyone with a "history of mental illness". That could result in permanent loss of rights to a person who had ever had a minor problem, even counseling of some sort or a visit to the EAP. Potentially, such an individual could face more stringent firearms prohibition than a felon.
At one time Iowa's permit to purchase a handgun required the sheriff to determine whether the applicant has a history of mental illness, and the application form asked the question. Later, Iowa law was changed for the better, to parallel the federal criteria.
Be ever vigilant, and don't think it could only apply to "nut jobs", not ordinary responsible, persons like you. I am personally aware of such an individual who was faced with an extremely angry person, and was denied the right to own a handgun for self-defense by the county sheriff, under his interpretation of Iowa law at the time.
Paul
