For anxiety disorders (for example, panic disorder), a person cannot enter the armed services if they needed any inpatient care, or outpatient care for more than 12 months cumulatively. They must not have needed any treatment for their anxiety disorder in the past 36 months.
Anxiety is a common health issue for military members. Therapy and treatment may be available at a military facility. A primary care manager can refer them for treatment.
A diagnosis of anxiety does not automatically preclude a member from deploying provided they have been effectively treated and have been free of symptoms for a specified period of time.
Depression in the Military Environment
Having a previously diagnosed mental health condition such as depression can actually be a disqualifying factor for service in the United States military, though individuals may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Additionally, the Department of Defense examines if any treatment has been prescribed for the disorder in the last 36 months. Though anxiety issues like panic disorder or social anxiety may disqualify you from serving the military, branches like the Army are beginning to loosen their standards on the problem.
While a mental health diagnosis generally disqualifies a recruit from the military, therapy and medication are available to service members diagnosed while in uniform.
Antidepressants are disqualifying for one year after you stop taking them. You must stop with your doctor's advice; do not stop on your own. These medications often have to be reduced slowly to lower side effects and reduce risk of relapse.
Important categories of disorders include anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and phobias; mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorders; cognitive disorders such as dementia; personality disorders such as antisocial, paranoid, schizotypal, or borderline personality disorder; ...
Joining the Military After Mental Health Treatment
For depressive disorders such as major depressive disorder, or anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, an individual may be disqualified from service if they've completed more than 12 months of outpatient treatment or any duration of inpatient treatment.
There are age, citizenship, physical, education, height/weight, criminal record, medical, and drug history standards that can exclude you from joining the military.
Most installations will have a non-medical counseling service like the Military and Family Life Counseling Program or a Work-Life Office that likely will also offer confidential counseling services. You can also find online help at www.militaryonesource.mil or at (800) 342-9647.
Keep pushing your comfort zone. When all is said and done, the job of any elite soldier is to willingly put their life at risk again and again and again. And some find that this is a great way to overcome fear. By enduring an intense emotional experience enough times, the anxiety diminishes.
There are many specific medical conditions that may disqualify you from joining the U.S. Military. These include conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, epilepsy, heart issues, Asperger's, and PTSD.
In the military's scheme of things, serious disorders such as major depression, anxiety or schizophrenia may be grounds for medical discharge or retirement, usually depending on their severity and amenability to treatment.
In brief, the prevalence of anxiety disorders in the military is estimated to be about 15.4% (Hoerster et al., 2012), with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) being the most commonly diagnosed (Lane et al., 2012).
Obviously, certain security and safety positions like law enforcement and military agencies require a person to pass a mental health check. This almost always carries an in-depth look at any previous mental health issues you may have had.
WASHINGTON – People with a history of “self-mutilation,” bipolar disorder, depression and drug and alcohol abuse can now seek waivers to join the Army under an unannounced policy enacted in August, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
Individuals with ADHD need a medical waiver to be able to enlist if they meet these points, with the branches — Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Air Force — typically requiring that applicants be off medication for several months and prove that they can function without it to be considered for a waiver.
ADHD The Armed Forces stated that candidates with hyperactivity, uncomplicated by violence or criminality, absent for more than two years without treatment, may be fit for enlistment.
Every new recruit needs to take a psychological exam before entering the army.
This includes Ativan, Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, etc. CII stimulants taken for ADHD/ADD, like Ritalin, Concerta, Adderall, Dexedrine, Focalin XR, Vyvanse, etc. Sedative hypnotics/amestics, when taken for more than three months for the treatment of chronic insomnia.
Milley read off DoD policy that states the individuals diagnosed with mood disorders such as major depression and bipolar disorder as well as any condition involving self-mutilation are disqualified from entering military service.
Antidepressant medications are commonly prescribed and generally do not limit deployability.