HockeyDude in crisis (military/law knowledge helpful)

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

So here it is.  Several weeks ago in Hawaii I came close to taking my own life.  My time in the US Navy has been, for lack of a better word, disastrous.  With all the good intentions I came in with, the reality of living on a US Navy vessel has become a dibilitating, horrifying experience for me.  Luckily, I decided to call 911 before diving out of a 15th story hotel window.  I did not get in any kind of trouble with my command, but I was referred to a treatment program for alcohol, because I mentioned that I had drank that weekend.  My problem is DEPRESSION, not booze.  I've come to realize that my depression is stemming from the fact that the Navy is just not for me.  I was told that if I refuse the treatment, I will be administratively separated from the Navy.  I would totally do it, but I cannot find any info anywhere about what type of discharge this would be, and what effect it would have on civilian employment.

I'm looking for help, because I'm in a desperate situation.  I had one leg dangling out of a hotel window a few weeks ago, and it's Because I hate where I am.  I want to get out of this place, but I can't do anything that would ruin my civilian life. 

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Please don't kill yourself. I'm in a very unhappy place in life too. I know what it's like to ask if there's any point at all to waking up tomorrow and having to do it all over again. But killing yourself isn't going to make you happy. It's just going to make you not depressed, but that's only because it's going to make you nothing at all because you'll be dead.

I was under the impression that the military has lawyers (JAGs?) for members; or is that only if you're courtmartialed?

Can you request a meeting with a psychiatrist or a therapist? If you can explain your situation to them, perhaps they can provide proof that you need to leave for health reasons. I'm not at all familiar with how that works, though as many recent events have shown, the military is not known for its competence or empathy in dealing with mental health issues.

I don't know if talking to someone on here might help in the meantime, but I would be more than happy to listen to you, as would a lot of other people on here. What is it about the Navy that you're not liking and that's causing you all this grief?

Thanks bro.  I've been thru all that stuff, but it's a system.  Every cog in the machine is shaped to keep me working.  I've had several superiors and administrators lie to me about my situation to try to keep me in (especially when they tried to tell me refusal to comply with their reccomendations would be DISHONORABLE, which is reserved for rapists, murderers, assaulters, etc.)  so I've no one here to trust. 

And what about the Navy that is causing me grief?  If only I had the patience abd time to weite that story.  My job is about as miserable as you can imagine something in America could be.  Thats the truth.  And I dont get to go home at the end of the day.   The details would take forever to write about, but please understand that its not the world for a rebellious liberal new age hippie. 

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Exhaust every option counseling-wise and legal-wise, but NO level of discharge--even "dishonorable"--is so worth avoiding to put your life in mortal risk of such a horrible decision.

BTW, alcohol may not be the root cause, but it doesn't help and feeds the problem. Vicious spiral and all that.

WHATEVER you do, don't take the coward's way out. You and your family both deserve better.

Badger, your use of the word "coward" is a disgusting insult.  However it turned out, I put myself our there for my country.  It's so funny that we are all heroes but civilians turn on us in the blink of an eye.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

hockeydude when did you first regret joining the navy?

Probably after going on leave in May.  It killed me to leave Jersey.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Generally speaking one has to fark up pretty hard to get a Dishonorable.  If you just kind of fark up you can get a Bad Conduct, if you're just a douche you'll get an Other Than Honorable.  But you won't be getting any of those for this kind of thing, everybody that I've seen kicked got a General Discharge.  Drugs, failure to go, being a drunk, being a generic piece of sh**t, stupid amounts of debt...I've seen it happen lots.

A General won't (or at least won't 99% of the time) hurt you looking for civilian employment.

Good luck.

I did my own research, and it seems you are correct, deado.  Refusal to be treated results in a General Discharge (under honorable conditions).  This seems to be a realistic and responsible way out of the military that will not affect civilian life. 

I feel so much better now. 

Thanks to everyone that responded.  It helped a lot.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Indeed, the military doesn't want you if you don't want them.  They don't like it, especially so early in ones career (training isn't cheap), but they've found that it's just better to let people go than try to convince them to stay.  Officers are a bit different, but for us enlisted folk, it works out better for everybody if we part ways.

That's not to say you're done either, in my experience the dudes that got kicked out spent at least a month (if not 6) painting, vacuuming, cutting grass, etc while the paper work slowly works it's way around.

This is not an issue.  I'd just be grateful that I could head back to Jersey and pick up where I left off in a life I very much took for granted.