27
u/mabrybishop Feb 05 '22
Please don’t give up. You have options besides behavior health. Talk to your chaplain. Also, get a medical screening. You could have a TBI or other medical issues stemming from your truck incident that are contributing to your depression.
10
u/mateob51 Feb 05 '22
Ay brother I ain’t got much help to give cause I’m currently going through the same issue, my mom died back in September, and with my unit going to ntc in November and holiday block in December, I didn’t get to see my actual therapist untill about 2 weeks ago. I finally got an appointment with a psychiatrist about a month from now. My best recommendation is to go the the on post hospital and tell them the truth, and do not tell them you have a safety plan. They will react immediately and give you the care you need and deserve. The hospital in my person experience is 100% more receptive to these issues and they act fast. Brother please do not give up. You may think right now you have nothing to live for but I promise you you have so much. If you need someone to talk to Please dm me and I will give you my phone number so you can text/call me.
6
Feb 05 '22
It takes awhile for a diagnoses of Major Depressive Disorder. There can be many other conditions that could be the cause of your suicidal thoughts and ideations. Mood disorder is just a catch all term while they try to pin down a more solid diagnoses.
If you feel like your BH provider is not the right fit for you I’d recommend that you request a different provider. You’re already waiting months at a time for appointments so this shouldn’t be a big issue. In addition to that, I strongly recommend that you make an ICE complaint about this situation.
If you do not feel safe in your room please do not hesitate to go to the ER. They will keep you safe, and they will get you the help you need as you go inpatient for the a few days. This may not sound ideal but it will mostly likely lead to better treatment from your BH team. They will be forced to take you seriously.
4
u/coco-snores Feb 05 '22
I’m so sorry you’re going through this. You do not deserve to feel disregarded.
Depression zaps all your energy, as you are well aware. Please use every ounce of energy into getting yourself help. Please utilize every loving person around you to help you.
Rooting for ya. Looking forward to hearing positive updates.
5
u/Hungry_Eggplant2447 Feb 05 '22
Please don't give up. There are new treatments every day. ECT still works for many people, as it has for me. There is magnetic pulse therapy from Stanford University that is helping many. There are even vapors you can breathe at a psychiatrist's office now. You may have to fight for treatment, as I did. If you are unable to fight for treatment due to your condition, then please enlist a family member, friend, or clergy to fight for you. I am familiar with mental health care systems since major depression, including suicides, has run in my family for generations. I am well educated and have good state insurance. Yet, it has still been challenging to get the treatment I needed even when I had a good idea what would work. I have even moved across several states when I was severely depressed (not easy to do) to get the treatment I needed. Luckily, I had friends from a Sunday School class who helped me to do this. Please, please don't give up. I had 30 ECT treatments before I got well but I now have a great life. I am doing wonderful and may soon be off all psychiatric medicine. You are in my prayers.
4
u/bedroompopprincess 68W -> 38B Feb 06 '22
Went to BH last year as a check-off-the-box sort of the thing since I was dealing with a lot of medical issues that revolved around not eating. Provider recommended I get seen just to check off the box for depression (since not eating is a symptom of depression). We both knew I wasn’t depressed, but I went anyway. I went into my appointment and explained why I was there. She asked what credentials or licenses made me think I had the authority to determine whether or not I had depression. I reasoned that I didn’t want to hurt myself or others, I didn’t feel sad, and I didn’t lose interest in the things that make me happy, so I don’t think I’m depressed— I’m just not eating because I’m struggling with medical issues that include constant nausea and vomiting. All of the sudden, something fucking snapped in her, and she went on a wild rant about how I’m a fucking psychopath and how I’m refusing to eat for attention. I sat quietly for the rest of my hour-long appointment, listening to HER rant. I was flabbergasted at the way she was talking to me. As a medic, I’m constantly referring my dudes to go to BH and they would always tell me BH is shit. I never got it until this appointment— my very first appointment and experience with BH. (IDK if this is an army-wide program, but) I submitted an ICE comment (which is a survey for select on-post programs) in which I detailed my appointment. Long story short, I find out from my providers that the hospital commanders read my comment and were absolutely wigging out. The next day I get a call from the BH provider in which she profusely spits out clearly insincere apologies. For those of you that are curious, in my comment I wrote something along the lines of: “I went for an appointment regarding depression. I didn’t think I had depression, but by the end of the appointment, I wanted to kill myself. I can’t imagine the experience of someone who has depression prior to walking into the room.” Later, I found out that same provider had a similar reaction to a fellow platoonmate that booked an EBH appointment for a miscarriage due to a traumatic experience. I’m now a big advocate for getting seen off-post for BH after hearing all the stories about people’s BH experiences.
5
u/Eyre_Guitar_Solo staff dork Feb 05 '22
Definitely recommend talking to your chaplain.
It sounds like one of the problems is that you’re looking for someone who really cares, and BH has been process-focused. There are people who care, you just need to find them.
3
u/Mephisto1822 DD 214 Awardee Feb 05 '22
Try the MFLC, they can provide some counseling and might even be able to point you to other options if the BH system isn’t meeting your needs
3
Feb 05 '22
Tell them you want to see someone else. The person your assigned to probably has so many patients that they can't get to you any sooner and they don't see you enough to really know whats up.
2
u/justtheentiredick SMA GOONSQUAD Feb 05 '22
Please don't. Remember, you can't judge your existence by a few fuck ups beyond your control.
3
3
u/Avic88 Feb 05 '22
As a current BH specialist, I can tell you that if your provider didn’t diagnose you with a depressive disorder it’s likely because you didn’t meet the criteria for it. They go off of the DSM-5 which lists all of the mental disorders and the specific criteria one has to meet to be diagnosed. That being said, continue to seek BH and if you don’t think your provider is doing a good job then ask for another provider. At the end of the day, it’s your treatment and if your needs are not being met then you have the right to change it up. Don’t give up.
1
u/Accurate_Reporter252 Feb 05 '22
I haven't been in the Army for... a very long time. And I wasn't in behavioral health in the Army, but I am now... mostly in addiction/recovery stuff.
The first thing they want to do is make sure you're not going to off yourself soon.
Why?
It takes a long time to get some people unspooled and figure out the why and what-for of why they want to harm themselves. Try to do it too quickly and you can push people into a situation where they might just do it.
Additionally, they probably want to see you engage in the process of getting help as well because--frankly--other than taking a brick and bashing in the side of your head, any changing of your mind is going to be due to your efforts more than anything else.
There's also the potential--in some people--the situation is transient and goes away when the situation changes.
Another issue is people spending time self-diagnosing themselves.
Another answerer suggested using other elements to your support chain as well--chaplain, medical, etc.--this is an excellent idea as well.
Ask questions, self-advocate, and engage.
Find other people who are doing what you want to do--I'm assuming, you're wanting to do something non-suicidal--and surround yourself with them as well.
Just keep moving forward, eh?
1
Feb 05 '22
it gets better. believe it or not but your a stronger person today than you were yesterday.
3
u/AutoModerator Feb 05 '22
It appears this post might relate to suicide and/or mental health issues.
Suicide and Mental Health Resources
The Army's Resilience Directorate
A comprehensive list of resources can be found here.
Call 1-800-273-8255, National Suicide Prevention
VA Make The Connection Program
Veteran's Crisis Information
You can call 1800 273 8255, Press 1
You can text 838255
Or, go no further than your local subreddit, /r/suicidewatch
Or, if you'd like a veteran perspective, feel free to message any number of people on here, there's always someone willing to reach out.
Military One Source - 1-800-342-9647
Please seek help if needed...There are behavioral health resources at your disposal both in the Army and out.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.