it sounds like she doesn't want to be in the military and that is, potentially a big sourse of her anxiety.
Comment 1 on that: Except that it's becoming clear she has been much more anxious than the average person for several years now... just never diagnosed, or treated. At this point the anxiety, whether enough to be diagnosed as a disorder, needs to be treated in any case. How coming out the other end of that treatment affects her feelings that she needs to drop ROTC, drop Physics, transfer schools, and change major will have to be seen. At this point my gut tells me she doesn't actually hate any of those four ... ROTC, , Physics, School, Major, but she is attempted to reduce stress, and those are her four primary stressors right now... well, maybe she hates Physics, but that seems pretty normal to me.
It may end up a moot point anyway, b/c if she ends up at that last resort of needing medication to bring her anxiety back to a level that most people have, she wouldn't be fit for duty. Then she gets discharged medically, with or without a repayment obligation. I'm still not clear on how that repayment obligation would play out. One poster says two cadets were medically DQ and didn't incur an obligation. Others don't seem to be sure. On the other hand, if she learns non-medical techniques to control her anxiety, then she may be fit for duty. That's for DODMERB to decide, in the end.
it sounds like she doesn't want to be in the military and that is, potentially a big sourse of her anxiety.
Comment 2 on that: We all make choices in life. I didn't like college particularly, but I made the best of it. I worked 16 hours per week during school, and full time in the summer, to pay for it. I had two roomates in a tiny one bedroom apartment... not b/c I wanted to, but b/c it was what was needed at the time. I certainly wouldn't have gone to all that trouble if it had been the case that I could have had just as rewarding a career by skipping college. I did something I didn't want to do, with the larger goal of enhancing my life and eventually my family's life by that sacrifice. I don't particularly like taking out the trash, but I do it for the same reason. I don't particularly like watching certain TV shows that are the favorite of my wife, but I do so because there aren't that many shows we both like equally. I don't like mowing my own lawn, but I do it to save $80 per month the mow and blow guys in our neighborhood charge.
Think about it, who would keep working if they didn't need to? Why do people count down the months to retirement? Who "wants" to work? Maybe 20% of workers, if that? Those 20% are blessed indeed. I wouldn't keep working. I don't hate work, but there are a lot of things I'd rather do with that time. I'd retire and do things that are rewarding to me, such as volunteering at Church, volunteering at our local school, coaching a youth sports team, playing golf, etc. Most people spend a good portion of their day doing things they wouldn't do if they were wealthy and could do whatever they wanted all day long.
So, basically I'm saying that your comment about "doesnt want to be in the Military" is the same to me as saying -- "doesn't want to be in a hard class", and "doesn't want to be in a hard major", and "doesn't want to work over the summer", etc. You do what you have to do, if you can tolerate the stress, with the goal of making as good a life as you can for yourself, and your loved ones.
I find it very hard to believe anyone is even considering not recommending her seek imediate psychiatric councelling. .
well, lots of people HAVE recommended that, as far as I can tell in this thread. I recommended she see a licensed Psychologist, and found one for her, having the gut feeling this was beyond the scope of traditional college health center services.
She saw the licensed Psychologist this past MOnday, and he did not recommend, yet anyway, that she see a Psychiastrist. By and large, Psychologists diagnose, and if necessary, refer to a Psychiatrist to initiate the medical (drug) treatment. This hasn't happened yet, and I have confidence that a PhD Psychologist would know when is the time to do that referral.