Can Anxiety Disqualify You from the Military?
Before Enlisting:
When thinking about joining the military, one of the most essential things to consider is meeting the physical, mental, and moral qualifications. As an individual plans to devote years of service to protecting and serving the country, the military authorities must ensure that they are capable of adapting to the tough demands of service.
Question: Can anxiety disqualify me from the military?
This question is very crucial. A simple Google search and self-diagnostic tools for mental health indicate that people struggling with anxiety, depression, and even PTSD are the majority worldwide. So, what kind of anxiety triggers disqualification for military enrollment?
In-Service Discharges for Anxiety-
Let’s review the Defense Manual 1900R Chapter 22, Sections A and E, Subchapter 17, of the United States Army Command Policies. Any soldier meeting a mental and emotional inability is subject to discharge procedures based on paragraph 25.1(f) entitled: "Temporary or Incapacitating Mental Disturbances", which emphasizes conditions like those related to stress, which can bring incapacitating disability.
• Military personnel already in-service should be attentive to situations as they worsen without significant improvement upon treatment:
– Depression
Dishonorable Discharges for Faking Mental-Health Complaints
Dishonorable Discharge
The process of investigation
The commanding officer begins investigations, questioning the reasons
The suspect is denied administrative separation before the medical professionals
Legal action should the suspect decides to quit (if forced)
Let’s explore Defense Manual 1900-1 to 1901-27R, dated 1972, Sections 31 through 55, outlining in-service rules for evaluation procedures. Note that failure to provide mental health condition disclosures or for faking an anxiety, depression complaint by a self-reported and corroborated false official statement usually leads to immediate adverse administration of separation measures without waiting for processing.
Note:** Military forces have guidelines stating that every soldier entering basic training could be separated as a unit for depression diagnosis. Additionally, 95% depression cases lead to a long-term in-hospital placement.
As long as symptoms are consistent in the absence of environmental pressure, one can work past the obstacle. You still have two options:** Continue to learn and heal during the learning process | 2). Seek your rights and learn about service-member benefits programs.
Additional Factors Relevant to Potential Enlistments
Key details to acknowledge:
Basic Training and OEF/OIF Experience Changes Psychological Profiles Over Time-
Military personal has been on the psychological evaluation for possible mental disturbance when they returned from either deployment in their home to take care their families properly during the following years that pass.
Another important and potentially crucial section is for PTSD, often referred as chronic stress anxiety. However, the treatment for them as well goes through individual or group care sessions combined, which further helps military services to find the recovery progress.
Mental, Nervous, General
• Can anxiety ever completely disqualify candidates?
• While anxiety generally serves as cause for possible psychological discharges, and when the patient’s disability may be described as *impermanent, it really won’t get you stopped; it never will give disqualification due to persistent service. What you choose then is
• Choose whether you like to face them or deal with self-forgoing your decision because of pressure from social support and expectations.
How are you being treated through support? Many people tend not to face their thoughts since they really don’t accept the consequences of going deeper into thoughts.
