What are your experiences with Behavioral Health?

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 13:29:25 -0400

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 24 at 2016 1:36 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 13:36:59 -0400

I've worked with and gone to BH. Pretty good troops.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 24 at 2016 3:30 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 15:30:00 -0400

I think it's become more than it was ever intended to be. Allow me to explain:
Going to Behavioral Health now comes with a very negative stigma. While seeking the help you need is something that should be appreciated and understood, it comes with this idea that the servicemember is "damaged" or "broken." I literally watched a co-worker of mine at my last unit be called a "tiny-hearted piece of sh*t" because he was seeking help for his depression.
Add this to the fact that the clinics are rapidly becoming over-booked and sparsely manned, and the service is suffering for it. I was in therapy for my sleep issues, and it got to the point that I was lucky to see my provider once a month. The service was no longer effective, and so I stopped going.
Often, I was mocked and ridiculed for going, again pointing to the negative stigma attached to Behavioral Health.
When it is functional and productive, the it is a great service. But it is rapidly deteriorating.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 24 at 2016 6:27 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 18:27:52 -0400

At Travis AFB ... eh.

Response by MAJ Javier Rivera made Jun 24 at 2016 11:21 PM

MAJ Javier Rivera — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 23:21:15 -0400

Jockers were closed at 1045 on a Wednesday!

Response by MAJ Raúl Rovira made Jun 25 at 2016 9:25 PM

MAJ Raúl Rovira — Sat, 25 Jun 2016 21:25:12 -0400

Anything you say can and will be used against you in a medical board. There will be a stigma, and leaders above you will likely loose faith in you. Secret meeting between the commander and the BH doctor should be of concern. I lived this as a MAJ and was thrown into a medical board that lasted 27 months which I survived. I can't imagine what enlisted soldiers go through.

I learned that the best behavioral health medicine is good sleep, good food, spending time with the family, talking with my wife, playing a music instrument, fishing, camping and lots of good exercise like swimming.

Response by SGT David Ortiz-González made Jul 7 at 2016 9:18 PM

SGT David Ortiz-González — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 21:18:22 -0400

I have been a BH Specialist for 8 years in the Army Reserves and the best experience I had was during my deployment. All BH Specialist should have that experience.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 12 at 2016 4:56 AM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 04:56:02 -0400

I have not visited a 68X yet but am currently a school counselor in my civilian job (Master's in Counselor Education) and am thinking of reclassing to 68X (currently 42A). Are there any 68X's in the Guard? It seems like most (all?) are in the Army Reserves. Regardless, for an m-day soldier, what would a 68X do on drill weekends?

Response by PVT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 17 at 2018 7:12 AM

PVT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 07:12:24 -0400

Being a 68X myself it's a great experience to help soldiers going through rough times and a great mos to transfer into the civilian world with.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 25 at 2018 5:57 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 25 Jul 2018 17:57:49 -0400

I benefited from their services and would recommend that those who need help get help!!!! Forget a stigma....I'll proudly tell my CoC that I'm going to BH!!! Stigmatize me all you want, but imma get this stuff of my chest!!

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made May 16 at 2019 10:48 PM

SFC Casey O'Mally — Thu, 16 May 2019 22:48:46 -0400

Understaffed. I knew more about depression than most of my clinicians did. Got a new BH provider every three months or so because of turnover (no continuity of care). Very few of my clinicians listened to me. Caused issues when I did my Periodic Review for my clearance (ultimately, maintained clearance, but was still a pain). Each new clinician refused to read notes from last provider, so had to spend two sessions going over my medical history and symptoms.

And this was at three different bases. It appears (to me) to be an Army-wide thing.