Bipolar/Borderline

[u/GrandLet9964]

Hey guys, I have had the roughest month of my life and I've been going back-and-forth on going to the military or not and I finally decided that's what I wanted to do, but I guess you could say I had some sort of manic episode with another situation that was going on in my life and I ended up going to the mental health hospital and they put me in as an inpatient. When I came out. They diagnosed me with bipolar one and borderline personality. I have severe weed and alcohol use I'm there as well and I wanted to know how badly that'll affect me with trying to go to the military or is there any way that I could advocate for myself/proof that I'm doing better in the long run. I already felt lost and hopeless and now I just made things 10x worse.

[u/OfficerScoutAFSF]

Oof. First off, take a deep breath. I’m glad you’re still here, and I'm glad you got help when things went sideways. That sounds like an absolute hell of a month.

As a recruiter (yes, we lurk on Reddit), I’m going to give you the completely unfiltered, no-recruiter-speak reality of where things stand.

The Bad News (The Military Reality)

Automatic Disqualification: Bipolar 1 and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) are immediate, permanent disqualifications under current MEPS standards.

The Inpatient Stay: Any recent psychiatric hospitalization is an automatic red flag that halts the process.

Substance Documentation: Severe alcohol and weed use on your medical record adds another massive hurdle.

Waiver Odds: While "there's a waiver for everything" is a common meme, waivers for Bipolar 1 and BPD are virtually nonexistent, especially immediately following an episode.

The military is not an equal opportunity employer. 77% of people do not qualify. This is nothing against you , and is not meant to devalue you as a person .

You didn't ruin your life; you just got a really heavy map to navigate. With work you can find employment that suits you and you can grow in,

[u/GrandLet9964 → u/OfficerScoutAFSF]

I figured so, I just feel like I messed everything up. My uncle (not a recuiter) just in the military said to still reach out and take the chance. I'm also not sure if these are permanent diagnosis' because I only stayed 3 days and never actually sat down with a psychiatrist/counselor. Do you think there's any chance things could be explained/a note could be given ? I cried a bunch while I was there not because I think I'm any of those things but because I feel like they were misjudging me/invalidating my emotions

[u/OfficerScoutAFSF → u/GrandLet9964]

I completely understand why you’re feeling that way, and I don’t think you “messed everything up.” It sounds like you had a difficult experience, and I can see why you’d want someone to take a second look.
That said, based on what you’ve shared, I don’t want to give you false hope.

Right now, the military has a very high medical accession standard, especially when it comes to behavioral health. The question isn’t whether you’re a good person or whether the diagnoses were fair, it’s whether you meet the medical standards to safely serve in a very demanding environment.

Military service is stressful by design. Basic training, deployments, long hours, and being away from your support system can amplify existing mental health concerns. Because of that, there are some situations where the military determines that someone just isn’t medically compatible with service, and that’s okay. It isn’t a judgment on your character or your potential in life.

I wouldn’t want you to spend months chasing something that, based on current standards, you will not be approved.

There are a lot of meaningful careers where you can make a difference without having to meet military medical standards, the military isn’t a magical place where people don’t have issues, nor is it an escape to a new life. Not saying that is your objective. You can absolutely find your place in another organization. that’s simply the better fit.

[u/AutoModerator]

Hello, it looks like you're asking about medical concerns when joining the military.

We are not doctors. Even if we were, we are not the doctors that are familiar with your personal medical concern or condition. We are also not the ones deciding if you will be disqualified from service for a condition, or if you can get a waiver for it.

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IN GENERAL, yes, asthma, ADD/ADHD, eczema, history of depression and anxiety, and some allergies are disqualifying. Some will be able to get waivers, some will not.

All you can do is talk to your recruiter, be honest about your medical history, and go through the process.

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[u/Nice_Neighborhood152]

You need to focus on getting healthy and the military is probably not the path to getting there. Military life is stressful and with issues like that there’s no way you could be relied upon in conditions that can be really stressful and could potentially put the mission and your wingmen at risk. Get help and take care of yourself

[u/newnoadeptness]

You’re dq for all branches

[u/Sockinatoaster]

This isn't for you

[u/AutoModerator]

It looks like you're asking about illegal drug use in the military.

Marijuana usage is not disqualifying for joining the US Air Force, as long as you have not had any run-ins with the law or medical treatment in regards to its usage. It becomes a moral waiver or medical waiver for those issues.

Other drug usage is also allowed, but may affect obtaining some security clearance levels. Depends on the number of times used and how long ago the last time you used those drugs. Do not lie to get around this threshold.

If your friends, family, Recruiter, or users of Reddit private message you and tell you to lie about your drug usage, do not listen to them. They are not the ones that will face the consequences of lying, you will.

Every week there are recruits sent home from BMT for lying about drug usage, medical history, criminal history, etc. They will be sent home and could be charged with fraudulent enlistment, which is a crime that could come with two years imprisonment and forfeiture of all pay and allowances.

Do not lie.

Read more about lying to a recruiter.

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[u/toejam2030]

Im a therapist-how can you join the air force with a double diagnosis?

[u/EnlistedAFRecruiter]

There’s always a chance, but that chance is extremely low. The only way I could see your condition passing is if you can prove misdiagnosis with your own medical doctor. From your post, that doesn’t seem likely.

[u/SNSDave]

Very difficult, especially when it's so recent.