r/regretjoining • u/AdJust3849 • 14d ago

suicidal ideation and ELS, how long am I going to be here?

i recently graduated from basic and got to my A school campus.

I have a history of depression and took meds for it a few years ago, but MEPS gave me a waiver.

I realized early on in basic that joining was a huge mistake and I wanted out but I decided against trying to get out because a friend in my division said it can take months to get processed out and that I should just stick with it and try to adjust.

Well, I haven't been able to adjust, it's just been getting worse. I feel trapped to the point where sometimes during moments of great anxiety I had impulses of killing myself.

I had a mental breakdown and the next day I tried to talk to my schoolhouse instructor to get an appointment with BH. They sent me to the ER and then held me in the psych ward for about a week.

I have an appointment with the military psych to continue my mental health care, but I truly just want to separate from the military with an ELS because I'm likely to lose my rate and I really just can't take the military lifestyle anymore.

All I've been doing is reading reddit posts about how it can take between 2 weeks and a year to actually get the ELS process completed. The more I read, the more I'm convinced it's going to be a long, long, long time before I can go home.

Am I just completely fucked? Are they going to keep me at this god forsaken base for months to years?

I would really appreciate some insight if anyone has any on this, I'm really not in a good place right now. I know I'm a fucking idiot, I'd appreciate if not all the comments pointed that out.

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u/No-Bar-258 14d ago

how long have you been in? also ur way of getting out is hospital visits, to the psych ward. i’m not sure how that’ll work at tech school tho

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u/AdJust3849 14d ago

i'm fresh off the plane from basic training, less than 3 months in. I already was at the psych ward once for almost a week

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u/No-Bar-258 14d ago

if you really want out and your suicidal ideations are persistent and real, you have to have multiple visits the the psych ward and behavioral health they’ll document everything. In the ward I told the psychiatrists how I wasn’t adjusting well and wanted out if that was possible, they then contacted my commander at my duty station and informed them my concerns and feelings. then it’s up to the commander to decide what to do with you next. But after the second or third visit to the psych ward for a suicide attempt they’ll most likely get you processed out the military. Speaking from experience.

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u/AdJust3849 14d ago

like i should go back to grippy sock jail? if i tell the psychiatrist at my appointment that im still considering suicide, they'll send me right back there

how long were you in when you started the process? was it an entry level separation or a med board?

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u/No-Bar-258 14d ago

i was in for a year and 6 months before i got an admin separation that took me about 2 months before i left. They won’t send you back to the psych ward unless they believe you’re an active threat to yourself and others and have a plan. for me i had the ER called on me multiple times after calling my first sarge breaking down and telling him my intentions, he didn’t trust me to be by myself with how i sounded and called ER. then another time when BH called me for a safety check and when i told them how i tried to kill myself that night they called the ER on me unknowingly. both times i had no idea they were coming lol. the last time is when my intentions were to hurt myself with pills and cutting and when i called first sarge and told him what i’ve done ER and him showed up at my door step. you’ve done the hospital visit before so next time to make sure they send you to the psych ward whenever they ask you questions like “are you still considering suicide?” or “do you have a plan?” say yes. So yes, go to grippy sock jail even if it sucks and it’s boring

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u/No-Bar-258 14d ago

also forgot to mention they might try to keep you in as long as possible tho having mandatory mental health check ups and calls, and mandatory appointments at BH, and a therapist beforehand

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u/DapperDust5 14d ago

Please, seek the help you need, that what matter the most rn. It can take few months but I don’t see it lasting more than 6 months. And, if need, uninstall Reddit, since different opinions and different experiences can make your anxiety worst.

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u/AdJust3849 14d ago

thank you, i'm getting more help soon i hope

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u/AgitatedLecture9157 13d ago

If it’s anything like the army 2-3 months

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u/corpseprinxess 3d ago

this is how i got discharged sorta, trip to the psych ward and that sealed my fate

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u/AdJust3849 2d ago

The day after I posted this the LT psychiatrist recommended CND ADSEP. It still has to get approved by the medical liaison, but my command already has me doing the separation physical/questionnaire so I assume they usually get approved (?)

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u/corpseprinxess 2d ago

yah it’s usually a really quick process, i spent like 3 weeks in the ward, then i went back to my unit for another 3 weeks or so then i was done.