What medications prevent you from joining the military?

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.

How long do you have to be off meds to join the military?

Also unreasonable is the length of time some branches require applicants to be off medication before applying for a medical waiver. The Air Force, for instance, recommends that applicants be off medication for 15 months. Other branches, as the DOD's prior policies stated, may insist on two years.

Can I join the military on antidepressants?

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 you join the military if you take anxiety medication?

Some specific mental health conditions and certain controlled prescription medicines, for example Ativan and stimulants, remain disqualifying if they must be used to achieve normal duty performance.

What diagnosis will keep you out of the military?

Personality and Behavioral Disorders

Disturbances of conduct, impulse control disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, or other personality or behavior disorders characterized by frequent encounters with law enforcement agencies, and antisocial attitudes or behavior also warrant disqualification from service.

What could disqualify you from joining Army or even the military

What can the military reject you for?

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.

What medications make you non deployable?

This includes antimetabolites, alkylators, antiestrogens, aromatose inhibitors, medroxyprogesterone, interferons, etoposide, bicalutamide, bexarotene, and oral tretinoin.

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.

Can you join the military with ADHD?

With inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity being predominant symptoms, an ADHD diagnosis raises justifiable “red flags” concerning military service as it is a frequent reason applicants are disqualified (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], n.d.; Department of Defense, 2018).

Can you get kicked out of military for depression?

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.

Can you enlist if you have anxiety?

In some cases, acute mental health struggles can prohibit someone from serving in a particular job, but in general, a well managed diagnosis doesn't affect day-to-day service.

Can you join the military with mental illness?

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.

Can I join the military with bipolar?

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.

Can you join the military if you take medication daily?

For those with ADHD or other mental health or behavioral conditions, it is important to know that the military's policy of disqualification for the use of daily medication applies to any chronic disorder or condition requiring such medication.

Can you join the military with drug history?

If you have been physically or psychologically dependent on drugs or alcohol, then you may not be eligible to join. If you have experimented with drugs but were not dependent, you may still be eligible. The military does not accept those who have sold or trafficked in drugs in the past.

What disqualifies you from MEPS?

What can disqualify you at MEPS? Any disqualifications that appear during your MEPS physical exam or interview may prevent you from joining the Army. These disqualifications can include illegal drug use, alcohol dependence, not meeting height/weight requirements, having certain contagious diseases, among others.

Can I take Adderall in the military?

Army ADHD Waiver

Army guidelines also state that soldiers cannot take any ADHD/ADD or certain other psychiatric medications while serving in the Army unless a waiver is granted.

Can you join the military while on Adderall?

You must be off any and all ADHD medications for a minimum of 2 calendar years. Those medications include Ritalin, Vyvanse, and Adderall. With that said, some branches of the military have very specific criteria and timelines that need to be met.

Can you join military with autism?

According to the U.S. Air Force Medical Standards Directory, Autism Spectrum Disorder is not disqualifying for continued military service unless it is currently--or has a history of--compromising military duty or training.

What not to tell your military recruiter?

I'll be straight-up: you do not want to lie to your recruiter. Even if your recruiter seems to encourage you to lie - don't. It's a felony to give false information or withhold required information on any military recruiting paperwork. The main thing to remember is that you have no right to join the U.S. military.

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.

How does the military test mental health?

Several military forces screen for these disorders using scales including the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and Post‐traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL). However, it is unknown whether established cutoffs apply to military populations.

Do antidepressants make you non deployable?

Antidepressant medications are commonly prescribed and generally do not limit deployability.

What anxiety medications are not benzo?

SSRIs, SNRIs, buspirone, beta-blockers, pregabalin, gabapentin, hydroxyzine, PanX and diphenhydramine are all options for anxiety that are alternatives to addictive benzodiazepines.