Hi.

I'm very interested in joining the Navy, however I have a semi-recent history of taking antidepressants. I was on them for less than a year, and I plan on getting a doctor's note saying I am perfectly mentally stable after a year since my last taking them has passed.

This stated, what's the likelihood of my waiver actually getting approved?

Kind of hard to say. Waivers that get approved, and then turn out that they shouldn't have been approved in the first place, only make it that much harder for those following along in the same path to be a success. It really depends on the individual convincing the powers that be that this will not be a future issue with you.

Do you have a backup plan in the event that you get depressed enough to be medicated again? Have you thought about that?

To most of us, anti-depression medications equate to happy pills to get through the day. That's why this is such a serious issue. They only mask the underlying cause of the reason for depression. All of this is only my opinion and I'm sure is open for debate. I could be wrong (has happened before), but I could also be right (has also happened before).

The reason that I was on them the first time was I was in an abusive relationship. I got out of it, but I felt guilty and really upset about it for months. If I ever feel that upset again, I have several backups that don't include medication.

I can see why it is a serious issue. I was just hoping that since it was for a single event, and that event was pretty serious, that it would be understood that it is not a chronic issue.

Thanks for your reply.

erin

completely understand. I wish you well in what you are aiming for and hope you are able to enjoy a successful career in the Navy.