Waiver Question

[tkinion]

My DD is currently DQ due to taking an antidepressant in the last 36 months (last med was 27 months ago) . If she is NOT granted a waiver, can she reapply next year for a new medical waiver since she will be past the 36 month window or is she DQ'd for good?

 

[Capt MJ]

Regrettably, there is no way to answer this, except to say yes, she can reapply. She would have to reapply and no doubt supply AMI, and her case will be examined, taking into account the passage of time. You may hear anecdotal reports, but circumstances wil vary.

The military pays a lot of attention to mental health, given some of the saddening statistics of recent years. Service academies are pressure cookers, unrelenting and exhausting. Even for cadets and midshipmen who haven’t experienced your daughter’s health issues, it’s often hard to remember their “why” when there seems no end to the grind. Then it’s on to the military itself, a demanding life, often in harsh and remote locations, where the safety of the unit is paramount, and the military needs resilient, fit, healthy people who pose the least risk to the unit in being able to fully contribute.

Best wishes for a favorable outcome.

 

[GoCubbies]

My DD is currently DQ due to taking an antidepressant in the last 36 months (last med was 27 months ago) . If she is NOT granted a waiver, can she reapply next year for a new medical waiver since she will be past the 36 month window or is she DQ'd for good?

There’s a standard in the DODI that says taking a psychotropic medication within the past 36 months is DQ. Once past the 36 months, it’s no longer a DQ so no waiver is required. This piece is qualified for the next application cycle.

However, there was a reason why your DD took the antidepressant so that diagnosis is another, separate DQ that may or may not stick with the next application cycle.

 

[severn]

... sorry for going off the tangent.
I'm not a big fan of antidepressants. After rotating out from a combat environment, the psych eval doctor usually offers those to me. I don't accept them. Instead I just go for a distance run daily, attend religious services, and communicate within a support group.

 

[puzzler]

That’s terrific that these approaches work for you. As you know, depression is a serious illness that can be fatal. Medication for this illness, as for many others, is often appropriate and necessary.

 

[tkinion]

There’s a standard in the DODI that says taking a psychotropic medication within the past 36 months is DQ. Once past the 36 months, it’s no longer a DQ so no waiver is required. This piece is qualified for the next application cycle.

However, there was a reason why your DD took the antidepressant so that diagnosis is another, separate DQ that may or may not stick with the next application cycle.

DD tried them for 2 months and hated them. Also found out she was low on Vitamin D which could have led to the sx. We knew at the time this would have an impact on her application but as parents, we had to take care of her.

 

[jbm2m]

DD tried them for 2 months and hated them. Also found out she was low on Vitamin D which could have led to the sx. We knew at the time this would have an impact on her application but as parents, we had to take care of her.

Happy to be part of your waiver support group. Working through the same thing.

 

[WMSMOM]

They don't seem to waiver medications, so you'll need to be outside the timeframe for that drug. That being said the different branches have different timeliness, so check into that.