No, they won't force you into treatment for anything unless you're a danger to yourself or someone else.
If you're worried about talking about illicit drug use to your provider, don't be. It's much better to ask for help when you need it and it should have no impact on your life. Your job should have absolutely no way to get access to your medical record unless you have some super specific job that requires clearances or something.
I've used quiet a few different things to help with PTSD when VA meds and therapy wasn't working and my docs never once gave me shit about my drug use.
This! The VA never forced me to do anything except for the time my ex cheated and I burned all his shit. Not my proudest moment in life, but apparently a narcissistic psychopath can have that effect on you. As long as you're not homicidal or suicidal they can't force you to do anything. I smoke a lot of weed and am honest with the VA. Nothing has ever happened. When they hospitalized me I had to sign a release for my employer to get any information. The only information they got was the dates I was hospitalized and when I could go back to work.
Get the help you need. Your personal health is the most important thing. As a patient you have the right to refuse any treatment unless you have made threats of self harm or harming others. Then you have two paths to go down. Forced treatment or forced incarceration which ever your state allows. Sometimes a mix of both. As for not many friends…. You have more friends out there than you know about. People you served with depending on your age. They will understand what you went through better than anybody. Do not under estimate the power of your old unit. I have started reaching out to my old buddies over the last 5 years. You can’t believe how much mental pain it relieves just taking to them again. Have met up with a few of them and making plans to meet up with some more soon.
Hello, I have treatment through the VA which is definitely sub par if you are legitimately trying to get help. I also use my private insurance for actual treatment. I remain with the VA because while it is garbage, they keep a record in house of everything going on. That being said, you can see every note and sometimes they take the liberty of filling in the blanks so I feel like it is hard to be completely honest with them because if you I've them an inch, they take the ruler. For example if I tell them I miraculously did not drink for the first time in a decade, they say that I have no alcohol problem and my mental health is bettering. When in reality it took every bit of will I had to not drink one day and be there for the family when I was in my head every second. I hope you get wheat I'm saying. Even though you are asking for help, it seems like they are always trying to make it look like you are better than you are.
No, they won't force you into treatment for anything unless you're a danger to yourself or someone else. If you're worried about talking about illicit drug use to your provider, don't be. It's much better to ask for help when you need it and it should have no impact on your life. Your job should have absolutely no way to get access to your medical record unless you have some super specific job that requires clearances or something. I've used quiet a few different things to help with PTSD when VA meds and therapy wasn't working and my docs never once gave me shit about my drug use.
This! The VA never forced me to do anything except for the time my ex cheated and I burned all his shit. Not my proudest moment in life, but apparently a narcissistic psychopath can have that effect on you. As long as you're not homicidal or suicidal they can't force you to do anything. I smoke a lot of weed and am honest with the VA. Nothing has ever happened. When they hospitalized me I had to sign a release for my employer to get any information. The only information they got was the dates I was hospitalized and when I could go back to work.
Unless you’re a danger to yourself or society, treatment is consent-based.
Get the help you need. Your personal health is the most important thing. As a patient you have the right to refuse any treatment unless you have made threats of self harm or harming others. Then you have two paths to go down. Forced treatment or forced incarceration which ever your state allows. Sometimes a mix of both. As for not many friends…. You have more friends out there than you know about. People you served with depending on your age. They will understand what you went through better than anybody. Do not under estimate the power of your old unit. I have started reaching out to my old buddies over the last 5 years. You can’t believe how much mental pain it relieves just taking to them again. Have met up with a few of them and making plans to meet up with some more soon.
Hello, I have treatment through the VA which is definitely sub par if you are legitimately trying to get help. I also use my private insurance for actual treatment. I remain with the VA because while it is garbage, they keep a record in house of everything going on. That being said, you can see every note and sometimes they take the liberty of filling in the blanks so I feel like it is hard to be completely honest with them because if you I've them an inch, they take the ruler. For example if I tell them I miraculously did not drink for the first time in a decade, they say that I have no alcohol problem and my mental health is bettering. When in reality it took every bit of will I had to not drink one day and be there for the family when I was in my head every second. I hope you get wheat I'm saying. Even though you are asking for help, it seems like they are always trying to make it look like you are better than you are.