Hey guys,
I'm a serving member in the military and I'm not comfortable mentioning my name or the unit I work in for the moment. I've been deployed a few times, to include Afghanistan, and I think I might need help.
I guess in a way this the most informal attempt to get information, maybe from others who have gone through mental health services in the CF, so I figure I at least try once to ask a few questions and then make a more considered decision.
My story is probably one that's typical. Stress, looming panic attacks that I try to control, the fear of f**cking up; this is something that I think many soldiers face at one point or another (to varying degrees), but its getting harder for me to control it. No one at my unit knows about this and in more ways than one it took a lot for me to register on this site to ask these questions.
My concern is that mental health services are basically designed to weed out those who are seen as broken and triage those who can be fixed and those who can't. Like most career soldiers, I am extremely distrusting of what others think or do, past the guys that I work with and the whole "we're here to help you" rings to me of a "no really, come into my office where I shall tell you that this stays between us until I deem it not to be the case."
My question, or maybe the thematic I was hoping some of you guys could expand on is what the risk is. If, and I mean if, I actually go to one of these places, how likely is it that they lie to me and my unit finds out about it? From some research, it seems contradictory to me that they say that everything stays between you and the mental health pers, and then they caveat it with what seems like a comical "the C.O, however, will know your limitations."
I'm probably bitter and paranoid, maybe. Knowing the system, that means that the Orderly Room will get this paperwork (I can't imagine a Commanding Officer being directly, and "solely" contacted), which will then pass through four or five pairs of hands, all of whom will likely contribute to the rumour mill. That this is even a possibility to me is completely unacceptable and I won't even entertain the idea of it.
Again if that's the case me asking for help is absolutely and totally off the table.
Can anyone offer me insight?
I apologize in advance if my message seems lacking of respect.
Andrew
I'm a serving member in the military and I'm not comfortable mentioning my name or the unit I work in for the moment. I've been deployed a few times, to include Afghanistan, and I think I might need help.
I guess in a way this the most informal attempt to get information, maybe from others who have gone through mental health services in the CF, so I figure I at least try once to ask a few questions and then make a more considered decision.
My story is probably one that's typical. Stress, looming panic attacks that I try to control, the fear of f**cking up; this is something that I think many soldiers face at one point or another (to varying degrees), but its getting harder for me to control it. No one at my unit knows about this and in more ways than one it took a lot for me to register on this site to ask these questions.
My concern is that mental health services are basically designed to weed out those who are seen as broken and triage those who can be fixed and those who can't. Like most career soldiers, I am extremely distrusting of what others think or do, past the guys that I work with and the whole "we're here to help you" rings to me of a "no really, come into my office where I shall tell you that this stays between us until I deem it not to be the case."
My question, or maybe the thematic I was hoping some of you guys could expand on is what the risk is. If, and I mean if, I actually go to one of these places, how likely is it that they lie to me and my unit finds out about it? From some research, it seems contradictory to me that they say that everything stays between you and the mental health pers, and then they caveat it with what seems like a comical "the C.O, however, will know your limitations."
I'm probably bitter and paranoid, maybe. Knowing the system, that means that the Orderly Room will get this paperwork (I can't imagine a Commanding Officer being directly, and "solely" contacted), which will then pass through four or five pairs of hands, all of whom will likely contribute to the rumour mill. That this is even a possibility to me is completely unacceptable and I won't even entertain the idea of it.
Again if that's the case me asking for help is absolutely and totally off the table.
Can anyone offer me insight?
I apologize in advance if my message seems lacking of respect.
Andrew