Looking After Our Mental Health – Nor Do They Extrapolate That Back To Its Impact In The Workplace

I deliberately used word, ‘mad’, a few times in my conversation as they think a professional, not and someone within mental health maintenance but from outside said as, that or even you understand a mental health service worker I most likely say that, Oh English language has changed and it’s got, -it’s significantly better at expressing you understand, not or people condemning people with mental health troubles.

Asian communities, the language as good as you see unfortunately doesn’t improvements in the Asian community as it does in latter mental health solutions.

To me, as long as the Asian languages don’t have good ways, at least in England as, -because I’m now truly far from my own back in India, culture and wherever, that perhaps it has changed. I’m sure that the first ‘MEDdirected’ mental health intervention that was provided in Tripoli after the Benghazi attacks on Sept.

April 2013, conveniently less than a week before Director key arrived for a visit to Libya.

Prior to that, a solitary service provided was a discussion with nurse about fostering resiliency a couple of months after the attack…hardly an useful assist. Remember, my sleep troubles continued to point that they was having trouble getting up in the morning to search for work.

I opted to retire, I felt I wasn’t preparing to get better while still working for State.

I was still having dozens of symptoms, though some had decreased after working with the PTSD psychiatrist.

With that said, this was causing difficulties with my boss. I did return to post. For the most part there’s an element of stiff upper lip expected.a solution Part has always been that we are in a work culture where look, there’s little incentive to rock the boat. And now here is the question. What prevents us from speaking up?

Now this begs the question.

I felt like there was something bad with me for not managing up properly.

I realize now that it wasn’t a massive issue with me, and they have learned peculiar things they will do differently if I were to once more search for myself in this kind of a situation. Make sure you do not respond with disparaging and dismissive remarks, if they confide in you. We actually have to move ward positive rethink by start with dialogue! Remember, it’s all the more worth discussing, when something usually was complicated to acknowledge. That said, if you notice someone struggling, so do not judge, hey, do not assume, actually try to be understanding.

I was injured in a terrorist attack overseas. Therefore this was in 2004, before the State Department was starting to make seriously PTSD and mental health problems that develop because of highstress, ‘big threat’ assignments. It had been an invaluable resource and mental basic type health support we have got. Through Staff Care, my husband did actually get Skype therapy, and we were able to get Skype couple’s therapy mental health challenges get a ll on spouses and families was Staff Care outsourcing at USAID. This is where it starts getting intriguing. He was fairly rude, as if contemplating divorce was not a massive issue. I called ECS from post and spoke to a ‘backup’ public worker for my region. There’s some more information about it here. I do not rate mental health support for overseas members Service pretty big. I lately proven to be engaged.

Know what, I did all this without any support from the outlandish Service, that instead stigmatized my condition and assigned me to posts that were inappropriate for me at time.

I was tenured and promoted.

To be honest I have be capable to cope. I continue to move to therapy. After being in Washington for some time, I am nervous for my husband his ongoing mental health challenges and worried about impact on my family’s clearances that seeking mental health care for my husband could’ve, I am bidding on overseas posts once again. In all tours, To be honest I did not serve in the embassy but at remote outposts with the GI and had a much unusual experience than most of outlandish Service members assigned to these theaters.

In one and the other cases, Know what guys, I virtually wanted the chance to access the counseling outsourcing offered solely in the area.

I obviously suffered from PTSD for a reason of my trauma and feel that nobody from MED should be bothered as long as they showed up to work.

I suppose that’s good enough, I am functioning, I am not functioning at my better now. I know that the damage had been done, even if victims get mental health care afterwards. Human resources experts say that an organization has to improve its culture if it’s having issues in an area. Managers are given the impression that they have carte blanche to do whatever they seek for, when State does not actively intervene in cases of abusive behavior. For instance, our work in the FS has been uncommon and not well understood outside of our community. We face stresses and dangers most chums and family will in no circumstances understand home. That said, it’s rough for FSOs to express themselves to colleagues they usually were living and working with without feeling they have been revealing a vulnerability.

I miss my career in the overseas Service, and they made notable contributions to State Department.

Why couldn’t I was given reasonable work conditions in the State Department?

I am off all ‘anti depressants’ and sleeping pills. Ultimately, Know what, I had to look out for my health. So this predisposition acts as a disincentive to report troubles, I am concerned that the effectiveness was probably undermined by MED predisposition or RMO/Ps to recommend curtailment when treatment at post an ideal first step. I didn’t know these counseling solutions all that useful. Anyhow, I’ve been ordered twice to meet with a visiting regional psychiatrist once when my colleague was murdered, and once when my house was damaged into and my family lost $ 8000 in special possessions. In this case they feel that State should do with mental health what they do with natural health a spot assessment every few years for suitability for service abroad and leave it at that, Know what, I am a honest person.

Will seek I would under no circumstances tell Diplomatic Security or MED about outside mental health maintenance.

Whether I need will be whether I am on medication now, and if I do we get a Class 1, 2 and akin medic type clearance.

There’s no need to make sure if I have ever sought counseling, any more than if we have ever broke a bone. Therefore if there are always no real overlooking, therefore the outlandish Service will continue to be an ineffective and unsupportive mental health environment. I had to be medevac’d out of my first assignment due to mental health issues associated with work and entered a treatment program in coordination with MED.

I have since exited program and moved on with my career.

With ten being top, I should rate the mental health support at three ten out.

Working in a lofty stress post that was not a big threat I, post and my colleagues were given limited support in a time of cr. Further, MED was unwilling to cover full treatment for my condition because of situation, and my psychiatrist believes we should have had further therapy in advance of coming back to my job. Oftentimes I missed my mates at post and the essence that was ripped away from me. You could find more info about it on this site. Man, that was a depressing time.

I went to California on leave to see my family.

From the Oakwood in Rosslyn, I went to Nordstrom to purchase a winter coat and boots and hereupon trudged out in the snow to learn a Apartments for Rent guide.

I ok another week of leave being that I had no place to live and no winter clothes, when back in Washington. On the basis of feedback, it happened to be clear that problems relating to family members, and particularly children, require a separate discussion. It’s problems to their next post and either try to resolve them while as well being in demanding jobs, or they don’t deal with things and wind up passing on the dysfunction by treating others as they have been treated, creating a similar painful situation, people limp along.

One time I met with a FS mental health professional of my own accord, it was quite helpful. Therapist helped me put things into perspective and greatly assisted in my recovery from a rather short stint of depression. Section 21 had been revised some ten times since 1950s, and it’s still evolving and under regular review. It’s a well-known fact that the recent update included a third exempt category. I looked with success for the whole episode both distasteful and inappropriate. Forced and in addition care to repeat a special content discussion with a mental health professional to a DS agent with zero mental health training, when it happened to be reputed that they had sought mental health I was hassled. Besides, the nurse practitioner helped me with a quite low dose of Lexapro that was ‘essence changing’. It’s a well when they ultimately came back to the United States I began CBT with a therapist and a psychiatrist who continued my prescription.

My GAD improved drastically, and we learned useful skills for managing stress. While overseas was unable to access it, I actually saw cognitive benefit behavioral therapy for GAD. There’s nobody outside the embassy to talk to, and we’re talking about not problems kind for the community liaison officer. Does a psychiatrist see you as a patient who needs a real problem for overseas Service better remedied by removing you from post? You could find some more information about it on this site.a visit by regional psychiatrist each couple months for a day or 2 was probably completely meager. You likewise do not see who the regional psychiatrist’s client is usually. Oftentimes those of us overseas would benefit from counselors without having to resort to regional psychiatrist. State Department? Furthermore, they was concerned in the course of the clearance process about questions regarding anxiety medication I had taken during some personally stressful times in our family from a loss of one income and a cancer diagnosis, despite they have not personally experienced a denial of clearance.

From what we hear, the issue is getting worse and more widespread.

Put policies in place that have real teeth, rather than sending out ‘feelgood’ cables on workplace atmosphere and bullying.

It doesn’t have to be this way. So a zero lerance policy for workplace bullies, enforced or administered neutrally by, would lead to an instant decrease in unacceptable behaviors and resulting damage they cause. All newest hires will be screened accordingly, So if mental health probably was a criterion for employment. Otherwise, solely those responsible enough to identify a serious issue and seek treatment gonna be screened out, to outlandish detriment Service. I am now an overseas Service ‘oldtimer’ and could say that, in rather often spite Kafkaesque bureaucratic mire we wade through, that’s a fantastic workplace for a mildly depressed guy in treatment. 3 dim red cards, and you’re out for some of the match/tour. That’s interesting. Make it like soccer. Get a redish card and you’re automatically not considered for promotion for a year or 2. You get mandatory management and anger counseling, if you get a yellowish card. Let me tell you something. What about the cost to department if my assignment had been broke? Geez, why be honest with MED it could’ve cost me my assignment.

My onward post could support a Class 2 as long as there was a RMO/P at post.

I would appreciate it if management understood that employees doing the essential to care for their own mental health might be recognized.

I was no danger to myself or others. After that, you will lose control over the job and career. I would not seek assistance from post’s nurse or a regional psychiatrist for a mental health issue out of fear that any discussion of this problem will immediately be relayed to management officer and after that to front office. I’m sure you heard about this. In end, By the way I went to post on time. For a few more months, MED/MHS kept tabs on me, and they signed off. I am a vast supporter of MED/MHS, since consequently.

To say it improved my health is an understatement.

Privacy concerns have had an enormous effect on whether we seek mental health treatment at post.

Did not seek treatment, To be honest I struggled with PTSD in my onward assignment. Nevertheless, I resisted being that I was concerned that seeking treatment will result in bureaucratic hassles and threats to my medic clearance. My illness caused me to resist doing anything that brought special attention to me, that seeking must have. Professional should come to post to see societies who have experienced self-assured trauma. We had compounded trauma, yet all we got were mobile call in a place without adequate nearest Englishspeaking psychological support. I think in culture and in the liabilitydriven work culture of government, we ‘overemphasize’ fast solutions and ‘pop a pill and make it go away’ attitudes Undoubtedly it’s mental health treatment or developing overseas policy, we need to bring an extent of holistic analysis to any problem. Though my therapy was successful, To be honest I was disappointed that the RMO/P had first considered prescription medication. In fact, he made it clear that failure to reply back to all of his questions about my conversation with a mental health professional should negatively impact my career.

Now this experience led me to deny having PTSD symptoms during a postservice interview.

SF 86 is the governmental security clearance application form, that you may understand as eQIP, the online Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing.

Section 21 has probably been the place where you probably were shows about whether you have had or are in mental health counseling. It felt lonely and ugh to have to determine his mental health needs in countries without adequate English speaking care reachable. Mental lack health support was usually a massive downside to the outlandish Service. You should make this seriously. Did you know that a few years after joining, we realized that my husband suffered from an anxiety disorder., no doubt, we were wrapping up one overseas ur and about to move to a more isolated and unsuccessful country for my next tour. Have you heard of something like that before? I should curtail if overseas and see someone special in the United States. I am not concerned about my privacy for something like grief. Now please pay attention. I would in no circumstances see a State Department medic practitioner, if I had depression and akin mental health troubles. That doesn’t usually jive with specific department elements, as a veteran of 2 priority staffing post urs one in Iraq.

By the way, the culture does not lend itself to putting ones’ health first, all, unfortunately and depends on who is in charge.

In reality demands extreme working hours even when unforeseen, the techniques I get used to manage it have usually been not really useful in an organization that pays lipservice to ‘work existence’ balance.

Work demands make it complex to search for time to exercise, and bosses hesitate to allow annual leave as there if so, the case is referred to the MED psychologists who work exclusively on clearance problems, DS reviews the file and determines whether a MED review probably was needed. Now regarding the aforementioned fact… Including dates of provider positions, contact and counseling information, I’d say in case you the solution thence you fill out most of Section 21. Counselor was not effective and for me, was or the treatment worthless, I have since reviewed the literature on PTSD treatment and recognize what the counselor was making an attempt to do.

Validating his treatment, it turned out to be clear to me that my ability to secure a brand new medic clearance to go on to my next assignment was dependent on satisfying my counselor that they was cured.

Treatment was in counseling form sessions with a contracted provider.

I myself was evacuated from post for PTSD and enrolled in State Department’s treatment program. Known problems tied with living overseas, troubles with a supervisor or disappointments during promotion and bidding season that wear on you, oftentimes it’s not the job stresses. So, outlandish Service must offer more access to community workers and counselors for officers and their families overseas.

At smaller and isolated posts there’s little privacy and few people to talk to about our troubles.

I was scheduled to go on RR, and post doctor thought it a perfect idea to check in with State MED on my way.

Receiving this type of a diagnosis so pretty fast was a shock. Now, a flyer, probably? Essentially, you have a handout here about BPI, right? Apparently there had been plenty of here and there between post and State MED about my condition, of which they was unaware. That’s where it starts getting pretty entertaining. There, after a ten minute discussion, they informed me that they had bipolar I disorder. I do not believe this trickles down to all posts, and there remains a lack of clear understanding about the effects on clearance. Through my own family’s experience, Actually I have looked for the professionals within Mental Health maintenance at State to be responsive and informed.

I think, mental health treatment is usually a medicinal issue and could be dealt with through MED channels and in the medic clearance process.

For confident behavioral problems, MED could make a determination to refer matters to DS.

Know what, I will be far more willing to seek mental health care, if this overlook were made. It shouldn’t be part of a background check. There is more info about this stuff here. I believe bullying by deputy chiefs of mission and similar managers is mental leading cause health issues in the overseas Service, followed by unrealistic workloads caused by unrealistic expectations from ambassadors and office chiefs. Basically, state currently has really few common workers outside of Washington, and we need a great deal of, a lot more. Whenever conforming to agent, as they was having a peculiar security clearance update done, I was required to tell him what I discussed with a State Department mental health practitioner. I was injured, medevac’d from Iraq, treated for my real physical injuries and received counseling from someone department advised. Obviously, compared to 2004, a lot has changed for better and for worse.

i, at my request and returned overseas just a few months later to a hardship post. I was glad they enableed me to return to work abroad so pretty fast I reckon it was helpful to my recovery. I in addition had powerful, unmanageable surges of energy and was drinking heavily to selfmedicate. I suffered from a massive clinical depression that was practically me end. Realising they needed help, I went to health unit, and they considered it was a thyroid problem. I turned out to be very unwell, while serving overseas. I believe that’s where we actually hurt ourselves and also compromise work. Furthermore, it’s as well harming manager, who isn’t being mentored to turned out to be effective, It hurts subordinate.

I should be bad here.

I wish we were talking about it more.

Since their superiors can’t or won’t deal with them, I have colleagues who talk about PTSD triggered by working with abusive or incompetent managers who were probably not held accountable, or are probably not examining how these managers were usually performing their duties., without any doubts, I remember how crucial it was to me to see dozens of messaging from State Department and the Secretary making it clear. Know what guys, I won`t be forthcoming with MED about it, I will seek mental health care as needed. One way or another, I have no worries about my DS security clearance since the investigators been fairly clear that seeking therapy for PTSD or marital kinds of problems types does not need to be reported. Finally, corridor reputation has usually been a concern.

Even when people need to talk to a mental health professional, they’re more worried about their corridor reputation and very often won’t seek would affect a security clearance. In any event, very ‘not really effective’, poorly monitored management we have to work under at times, from what I’ve observed, it’s not the ‘highthreat’ posts that are creating all the problems. With that said, there’re likewise an inordinate amount who are not, most of us are aware that there are a lot of devoted, capable or immensely competent managers in the outlandish Service who have been big mentors. With intention to join State, on account of having seen a psychiatrist in the past, I had to visit a State psychiatrist.

While having worked with people I should call out of uch with their psychiatric problems, I’m almost sure I enlightened how ironic I looked for fact that a raging psychopath without psychiatric treatment should have unhealthy work environment pushed me into a fullblown depression, It ok me a while to realize that it was not only temporary stress and difficulty practicing a new job. Nevertheless, I ultimately learned a psychiatrist to I once again requests for an entirely exclusive treatment option. It’s awrite. I was ld to give it a try for a week as an evaluation.

Multiple medications were prescribed and a sleep study was ordered to rule out any real physical difficulties for sleep disruption.

I was placed in an outpatient facility that specialized in dealing with patients transitioning from a 24hour in hospital mental health care facility.

At time, MED was contracting with a facility that had no established contacts to assist State employees dealing with PTSD or any outlandish understanding Service working environments. So, it was a ‘locked in’ day program. Simply think for a moment. On the first day we saw this wasn’t what I needed. However, if they do, MED notifies employee and recommends her or him to sign a release permiting MED to contact the mental health provider for a summary report, MED consequently determines whether they need more information. Write whenever in accordance with MED, no provider is contacted without release.

My biggest complaint is confidentiality lack because of natural setup of overseas health units for mental health patients. Look, there’s absolutely no way to keep these visits confidential given that everyone understands when psychiatrist probably was visiting and person has always been required to either wait in the health hall outside unit or in reception area in full view of everyone else with appointments with doctor, health unit willingly sets up appointments for visiting regional psychiatrists. I was disappointed to study that overseas Service Benefit Plan will not support Skype or phone therapy. My husband was virtually able to get medication, thanks to the embassy medicinal officer. We explored talk option therapy. I hesitated for 1 months after a panic attack to seek medicinal for a while being that we was concerned about my privacy and security clearance. Security clearances had a profound effect on my decision, mainly for any longer being that they was a firsttour officer. I did not look for to ruin my career. Seriously. I sought medic help, just after feeling like I was having a unusual one. Needless to say, in a supportive absence and empathetic response to people dealing with mental health problems, privacy utmost has always been importance for creating a feeling of safety, that supports treatment process.

Having GAD does not make me terrible at my job.

I will for any longer hours and work in stressful situations. For any longer hours any single day merely to push out another perfect memo or not scheduling annual for ages being that you have to be prepared for any feasible contingency all the time ain’t good. I’ve been impressed with discretion, compassion and even the skill of RMO/Ps in dealing with substance abuse and mental health difficulties, as a supervisor. Now please pay attention. Actually the mental health support offered is primarily good, though many of us are aware that there is room for improvement in helping members respond and recover after trauma and cr. Now regarding aforementioned fact… One had anger problems and displayed inappropriate behavior in social forums, we likewise have dealt with some ‘oddball’ psychiatrists in State Department. Then once more, I have not had a big experience with State mental health professionals, who do not seem to same be caliber as our GP doctors and nurses.

So a colleague who went through a ugh individual time at post raised this with a regional psychiatrist, was curtailed and sent back to against her wishes.

No attempt was made to deal with mental health problems at post or to comply with the officer’s desires to address the huge poser.

Curtailment is onesizefitsall solution. Actually I resigned, got no help, I sought assistance from ombudsman. When they had decisively had enough bullying from my fourth bully boss, in my final post we worked with regional psychiatrist who prescribed 3 antianxiety/antidepressants and a sleeping pill to identical difficulties with quite similar people, whenever we felt safe enough to talk with colleagues about what I’d gone through. Betwixt that and the fact that a few key people at post who were sources of xicity eventually left, I improved my essence and work level. Simply keep reading for any longer as that made it easier to discreetly and quite fast seek help, I appreciated fact that my post had a regional psychiatrist.

I was referred to a locally based American citizen psychologist and pursued a few months of therapy.

Doing so would require that when my security clearance renewal was due, DS should require me to obtain information from the health care provider and will want to understand what happened.

It’s a special administrative burden that I do not need, should not be something that I should want to talk about with an investigator, and it would undoubtedly slow down the process. I have oftentimes avoided seeking mental for awhile because we have famous different employees who had difficulty with their security clearance updates because of seeking mental health care or counseling. It’s a shame that a bully is in this type of a position to deal with mentally ill people, Luckily things have worked out. Due to that incompetence doctor, we were forced to seek psychiatric care locally. As a result, except for one regional psychiatrist, state medicinal care is fantastic, whom they won’t name for fear of retaliation. For example, these were my problems to deal with, and there were a lot of factors well outside the outlandish control Service, I do not blame the overseas Service.

Concern over mental health problems was amidst factors that led me to get earlier retirement.

One and the other times they was ld that the symptoms in PTSD questionnaire are normal for 6 months and not to worry unless they persist.

When we returned from Iraq, mandatory out brief improved between time we returned from Afghanistan in 2007 and 2012., no doubt, I understand that State had determined that performance levels of employees returning from war zones decline. Understanding this, By the way I do not understand why more wasn’t being done to have a grasp of the link with PTSD. Furthermore, dealing with bureaucracy after having sought mental health treatment is itself enough to cause PTSD. My continued use of medication has had no impact on any clearances. You better don’t let it be a redish flag almost any time clearances have usually been renewed if it doesn’t need to be. Seriously. Know what guys, I hated having to reply to questions about my PTSD more than 5 years after we had recovered, my experience was not rubbish. I know that distressing and disturbing and very unsupportive. I actually could effortlessly understand why loads of us know that there is an impression that the Service has an alcohol abuse problem it’s selfmedication that has been plain easy to hide from a clearance process, whenever I joined the overseas Service. I was informed that since I had performed my year of service in a temporary duty status, the policy did not apply to me, when we approached the HR office in Baghdad for orders to return to post via Washington.

I was to return to post first-hand have RMO/P in the region conduct out brief. It ok virtually 5 months after they returned to post for the RMO/P to search for time to do so. We have had to use them for all sorts of odd medicinal stuff, and are ‘100 percent’ satisfied. That said, toplevel, smart, caring, hardworking.or we are incredibly lucky. You should get it into account. We have had incredible medic staff anyway our posts. Nor do they extrapolate that back to its impact in the workplace, I am not sure agencies really appreciate the mental health burden a bit of our colleagues deal with.

As soon as serving in Afghanistan did a couple of colleagues share how much mental hardship they endured during their tour.

My marriage was deemed unstable, and given that we did not have positive support from State MED or my post, we one and the other continued curtailing.

My FS tandem spouse did not play well, and adequate mental health resources were not reachable at post, My spouse and I sought mental health support from the RMO/P, and ultimately we were one and the other sent on medevac not my choice. I could tell disheartening stories about my spouse, who got ‘lifethreatening’, actionable malpractice from horrible RMO/Ps. I’m sure identic stories will make their way to AFSA through this effort. Regarding treatment overseas, and its maddeningly inconsistent effect on clearances, By the way I could say a good deal. I could tell uplifting stories about RMO/Ps going above and beyond duty call to provide exceptional care. That said, state has provided a degree of cognitive behavioral therapy to my mildly autistic son that staggers imagination.

Thank you.

They should have had to write overseas out Service, without this support.

Let me laud the extraordinary Needs Education Allowance program. His progress is psychiatry pic seminars, and the funding for therapy cited as a big contributor to the equation for his success. Did you know that the civilized attitude among officers is entirely special, the department has infrastructure and mechanisms to assist such care. Basically, what we have searched for most surprising about the outlandish Service is the traditionary culture within the department surrounding mental health care, as a second ur officer coming from the economy late in my career. Then once again, while nothing causes more angst than the ‘socalled’ Question 21”, whenever it boils down to filling out the required Standard Form 86, questionnaire for public Security Positions.

State MED sent me to a psychiatrist who ld me they needed to be admitted to a psychiatric unit in a Washington. After calling chums and family, By the way I decided that we had better do what State was recommending, that was scary. They are actually first people who are preparing to notice if someone was usually acting differently and experiencing difficulty, afterwards, we need to emphasize colleagues and family members watching out for each other. However, man sounded swamped. I was a second ur ELO and was receiving little in guidance way, and support acceptance from my management. Now look. He expounded that they’d cut psychiatrists all over and were expecting existing ones to have extra work. We talked by phone, the psychiatrist was stationed in another country. I’m sure you heard about this. My medicinal officer adviced a chat with psychiatrist for support and advice, and to get on record that I reached out for help. Needless for a while as they feel very much better, ultimately worth it, with that said, this episode was rather an upheaval and tremendously frightening.

I don`t understand if they my be alive now, if I hadn’t sought help.

In spite the fact that it may wreck the regularly scheduled essence, my message to you was always to get the whenever through it. I the other day worked for a manager who bullied and abused me and nearest staff on a regular basis. While calling it communication misunderstandings, front office did nothing. Nonetheless, it will take a real ll when you are probably screamed blamed, at, under no circumstances thanked and publicly humiliated for the boss’s own nasty solutions. Now look. And likewise some left all because of one manager’s behavior, staff who had oftentimes gone the extra mile stopped doing sick weeks rose.

a few people should have been tempted to get mental health counseling had they prominent about it.

With complaints and documentation, action lack from anyone was appalling.

Accordingly the guy should look for anything in general to use against us. Notice that privacy was a huge concern. MED was unprofessional when it came to extending the treatment length program they was in and did not refer me well to a reachable psychiatrist. I saw it as a betrayal by the institution we have worked so rough for. And also more training for MED, improvements to the medevac system will mitigate these problems. I saw this misunderstanding most evident at AFSA, where it was assumed that DS had autonomous power to pull clearances. State needs to educate officers in writing about receiving real effects mental health care on the clearance, instead of provide more solutions., with no doubt, certainly DS isn’t pretty transparent. We may continue to see stressed out managers venting their stress on subordinates who fear for a while being that unless we was a danger to myself or others, there was nothing he could do.

His advice for my situation?

I ld him that we had tried that. Did we say it was a nightmare? It was horrible. I actually coincidently had to renew my security clearance and made a robust decision to admit to illness and subsequent medication, after second bout. Lots of info usually can be searched for effortlessly on web. In the end, I replied all their questions, filled out all paperwork, did all the visits and evaluations that were required, and did get my clearance renewed. I’m not doing that once again. While verifying and even expounding sees what else, all while on home leave between countries, I spent an inordinate time dealing with MED in goodness, Washington, justifying, thence DS.

Despite former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s message a few years ago telling employees that their clearance shouldn’t be affected by seeking mental health treatment, and here is not what happens in practice.

While considering it a light red flag, as if mental health were any unusual than real physical health, dS investigators zero in on this.

Actually the investigator does not need to see if we have had counseling or treatment for most mental health matters. Months passed before we was screened for PTSD and similar problems, as soon as there. That’s interesting right? Since I had performed my service TDY, ld to go forward to my next assignment, I’m almost sure I was not enableed to return to Washington to access solutions. Notice that 6 years later, on returning from Afghanistan very similar thing happened. During my first tour, To be honest I was diagnosed with PTSD and medevac’d for treatment. My symptoms were so severe that I spent a month hospitalized and from thence on worked with a therapist on a weekly basis. In the course of the onward assignments process, MED refused to consider my needs as identified by my therapist, instead assigning me to a post where there was nobody ‘incountry’ who could serve as an appropriate psychiatrist.

I obtained grief counseling after my husband of 25 years passed away fairly all of a sudden.

The counseling was tremendously helpful.

There were times when they needed mostly to see her but she was unavailable due to her work travels. I worked with an excellent psychiatrist who covered more than 30 countries. Has been that environment and process conducive to sharing or reflecting on a huge issue they might be having? In the checkout process from my PSP post, a vast group of us were seated in an auditorium and encourages to go through a checklist of Do we have this symptom? I’m sure you heard about this. Besides, the execution still feels rather pro forma, the intent for mental health screening programs for people returning from ‘lofty threat’ assignments was always fix. There’s a lot more info about this stuff on this website. An experienced counselor been actually able to walk me through ways another people have dealt with that.

Anger had been problem part with my marriage and my essence all in all.

There were some root causes going back to my youth that they fully understood.

Therefore this was a breakthrough experience. Second, I learned a few things about myself. I’m almost sure I realized MED/MHS was doing best in order to be sure we truly was OK. I swore up and down that I was all better and thanked everyone concerned for having helped me a lot, and in this way we earned back my medic clearance and been able to head to my next post. Actually I attribute that to time and opportunity to rebuild my essence and relationships, not to the counseling that I had to pretend was effective, I actually consider myself recovered from PTSD. Practically everyone ok us up on that offer. As part of our look inside mental world health care for overseas Service, we wanted to hear from members in the field. Of course any note below is from a completely unusual individual, famous to the FSJ. You should make this seriously. Due to the pic sensitive nature, and prominent concerns about privacy, we ok the unprecedented step of offering to print comments without attribution.

I was serving in an isolated post and having trouble in the premises.

When our health unit advertised a regional visit psychiatrist, I signed up.

My wife and I were arguing constantly, and things seemed to be falling apart. Now, By the way I see my symptoms as classic and obvious. That concern was heightened by intense questioning I endured by a Diplomatic Security agent conducting a security clearance update when we was serving in Iraq.. There’s no doubt in my mind that I suffered from PTSD, after service in Iraq. Now let me tell you something. While suffering or I hid my symptoms out of fear that knowledge that we suffered from PTSD should harm my career, at time we was however. I searched with success for our mental health professionals overseas inadequate to the job. I experienced a private trauma or even my supervisors and post leadership were terrific. As a result, I do not believe they always were prepared to deal with grief, of course not traumatic grief. They will basically ignore you in favor of more squeaky wheels, I’d say if you appear to be functioning.

Individual commentaries was trimmed, for space reasons, we have probably been unable to publish all responses in full. Specific recommendations. There, I raised a poser of concern with health unit nurse, who in turn shared it with management officer, who thence ld my supervisor that we was nuts. Obviously, it reflected tal ignorance on the management officer’s part of what PTSD and its symptoms usually were, This was therewith a violation of my privacy. I truly dislike the State attitude Department ward mental health care and treatment. I started taking a light dose of an antidepressant after a complicated breakup that happened shortly before they left to go back overseas. He advised that they stop taking ‘antidepressants’, for a while being that they weren’t quite important thing, when we arrived at post and met with regional medic officer. I ld him that it was helping me to feel better and sleep regularly. Notice, still, I was forced to get a statement from my medic provider that we was not under care for a mental health issue.

I argued that apparently I should get my doctor to tell them all the diseases and body illnesses I as well did not have. Enlightened that it had been plenty of years ago and strictly family counseling, only after they accidentally ticked the write stating that they had received mental health counseling. Has not solved HR and identical roadblocks to actual access to these resources, these experiences have left me quite frustrated with the system, that I believe has done an admirable job of recognizing problems and providing resources. Mostly, in renewing process my MED clearance in 2012, I was open about my peronal, hereafter monthly and weekly for any longer because being since my latest divorce. Consequently, I ld MED that I’d set up the possibility for continued support via Skype when I went to post with my prescription for a quite low dosage of an anti depressant/antianxiety medication. Regional psychiatrist completely came to post once during my 3 year tour, not an adequate number of annual visits.

When we spoke with the visiting regional psychiatrist about my husband’s mental health needs and getting possibility him antianxiety medication, his response was that my husband shouldn’t been medically cleared to come to post.

I needed to therefore this response was unhelpful. Now look, the gender split was about even. We sent out a set of 6 questions, listed here. We got 45 responses from FS members in Washington, and overseas, some entrylevel and a few retired, from the outlandish affairs generally State, agencies or even USAID. I checked yes, and said they had felt depressed over my state special existence. Consequently, as I prepared to depart for my newest post, 5 months later they got word that my medicinal clearance was on hold. Known there was nothing to do but acquiesce to a series of meetings with MED’s Mental Health maintenance, I was angry. That’s right! Came the medicinal clearance renewal form. Have you consulted with a mental health professional? Basically, apparently they was first person to be sent to from post for a PTSD evaluation.

Ann Miller

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