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Can you join the military if you take antidepressants?

Can you join the military if you take antidepressants?

Are antidepressants disqualifying? ( Response 1: 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.

Can I join Air Force with anxiety?

The curriculum at the U.S. Air Force Academy is challenging, and many find the environment stressful. A history of depressive or anxiety symptoms may be considered for waiver if treatment has been completed and a period of convincing stability demonstrated without need for ongoing medication or psychotherapy.

What disqualifies you from enlisting in the military?

The military doesn’t accept just anyone who wants to join. There are age, citizenship, physical, education, height/weight, criminal record, medical, and drug history standards that can exclude you from joining the military.

Does the military check your mental health records?

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.

Will you get kicked out of the military for anxiety?

According to the Department of Defense, you’re disqualified from serving in the U.S. military if you have a current diagnosis or a history of most mental disorders..

Can you get a waiver for anxiety in the military?

Army standards continue to stipulate that applicants who test positive for marijuana require a waiver to be eligible for enlistment, and applicants with a history of ADHD, depression, or anxiety will not meet enlistment standards and might not even qualify for a waiver, depending on their specific case.

What happens if MEPS disqualifies you?

If your 2807-2 is declined or you fail your physical at MEPS, you will receive either a Temporary Disqualification (TDQ) or a Permanent Disqualification (PDQ). Don’t let those terms scare you away.

Can the military clear your criminal record?

Under Title 32, Chapter V, Section 571.3(c)(2)(i) of the Code of Federal Regulations, applicants to the military must disclose SEALED and/or EXPUNGED criminal cases as well as juvenile records. Fortunately, a criminal record does not automatically bar you from military service.

Can you get a waiver for depression in the military?

The morning after Veterans Day, USA Today published an investigation that rippled through the Army community: This August, for the first time since soldier suicides spiked in 2009, the service began offering waivers to recruits with histories of drug and alcohol abuse, depression, bipolar disorder, and “self-mutilating …

Can you join the military if you are suicidal?

The military considers any suicide attempts in the past as disqualifying for military service. Additionally, any history of suicidal behavior that includes gestures or discussions about the thought is disqualifying. The military also previously disqualified those that had a history with self-mutilation.

Can you deploy on antidepressants?

Antidepressant medications are commonly prescribed and generally do not limit deployability. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are effective in treating depression and anxiety with very limited side effects.

Can you get discharged from the military for mental illness?

The military may discharge for “other designated physical and mental conditions” servicemembers who have conditions that do not qualify for a disability discharge, but “that potentially interfere with assignment to or performance of duty….” Personality disorders are the most common grounds for discharge under other …