Correct! It takes strength and courage to recognize and share that you need help. Seeing a mental health professional early can also help you manage your symptoms and avoid a potential crisis.

Correct! A mental health professional can help you with conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety, but you don’t need to have a mental health condition to benefit from talking to someone. There are many reasons to talk to a mental health professional — from learning to manage stressful situations to building stronger bonds with your partner.

Correct! There are many different treatments available for mental health conditions. For example, you may benefit from psychotherapy (talk therapy) alone or in combination with medication to help you manage your symptoms. Talk to your mental health professional about your options.

Correct! It is extremely rare for a mental health condition to affect your security clearance. From 2012-2018, only 12 out of more than 2.3 million security clearance requests were denied for psychological conditions. If you have any concerns, talk to your mental health professional.

Correct! Your mental health conditions do not automatically disqualify you from service or deployments. In fact, from 2016-2020, 456,293 active duty service members had a diagnosis of at least one mental health condition while serving. Seeking help from a mental health professional early can prevent your condition from getting worse and potentially affecting your career.

Correct! Your mental health treatment is confidential and protected. Your mental health provider is only able to notify your command team if there is a concern that you might harm yourself, others or the mission. Even in those situations, only your diagnosis and recommended duty limitations can be shared by your mental health provider.

Correct! TRICARE covers most mental health treatments. You don’t need a referral from your medical provider if you’re receiving mental health treatment from a military hospital or clinic.