First a litle background. I am 18, currently serving in the United States Navy in Charleston, South Carolina. Ive been away from home for about 4 months now, my longest by far.
I know I may be just told to suck it up and quit being a pussy, but many days I just find myself wanting to just get away for awhile, forget everything ive gotten myself into for at least a few days.
Today I just got home from studying and school, and I was just overcome with a pretty bad depression, worse than most days really.
So how do you active/retired guys deal with it? Just that feeling of hopelessness that happens sometimes. I didn't even want to talk to my dad tonight, which is really rare because I usually talk to him for quite awhile most nights.

advice is appreciated, thanks all

Getting laid used to do it for me. Seriously, try to have a good time, make friends, get laid, save up some leave days, then take a vacation. Try to make yourself comfortable, because whether you like it or not, you are home now. Everybody feels homesick. It will wear off. Just don't do anything crazy like going UA. Get out and go shooting, I know there are some board members in Savannah. If they won't go with you I'll drive over there.

See a doctor, its a medical condition. There are several medications that can be prescribed that will help you.

Good Luck

Quoted: Getting laid used to do it for me. Seriously, try to have a good time, make friends, get laid, save up some leave days, then take a vacation. Try to make yourself comfortable, because whether you like it or not, you are home now. Everybody feels homesick. It will wear off. Just don't do anything crazy like going UA. Get out and go shooting, I know there are some board members in Savannah. If they won't go with you I'll drive over there.

Don't worry, I aint going UA any time soon. I do get to go home for about 12 days during Christmas, cant wait for that.
I've already been shooting here with a fellow member(thanks Brohawk! ), I hope he'll have me again sometime.
Thanks for the offer to go shooting, if you're ever in my neck of the woods, I'd love to go, but no need to go out of your way.
I'm doing a little better this morning actually, sent my dad an e-mail late last night.
jimb, I think seeing a doctor is out of the question. I dont want to be kicked out for them diagnosing me with depression. I think all I need is to get out for awhile, I guess I can just tough it out.

Thanks fellas, arfcom therapy is all ya need

To put it simply ....

- Got to be more optimistic, don't dwell on the negative.  

I didn't say NOT to think of bad things, just don't get wrapped up in thinking about them for a length of time to where you start feeling REALLY bad.

- Keep in mind that even though everything may not go our way, be content that you are doing your BEST, which should help you deal with whatever outcome occurs.

- When you leave work, leave work BEHIND.

- If you live in barracks, DON'T BE A BARRACKS RAT!  Get out of there and do SOMETHING in your free time.

- Those things that you used to do when NOT at work, keep on doing them.

- Alcohol makes things even worse.

That's it for now ....


Edited to add:  As mentioned above, don't allow your feelings to push you to doing something you'll regret.

If you start feeling that way, you MUST tell someone and get some help.

Doing something that's not smart isn't going to make the problem(s) go away.


Chris

Please don't take offense at this.

At 18 - you're still a kid.
Enlisting in the service is probably the
biggest personal decision you've ever made.

It is NORMAL to have doubts and misgivings.
Your ENTIRE WAY of LIFE is different now.

You may decide you're not cut out for
life in the service ; but only you can make
that decision.

Talk it over with your friends and family;
DON'T hold it in!

When you enlisted , you most likely had a
goal in mind.
(patriotism , education , career, or even
an exciting change in your life)

If this goal is still important to you,
you will make the right decision.

And for what it's worth - we here support you.

Like everyone else said have fun.  Shit man your on the coast you got a little change in your pocket spend some of it.  Don't spend all of it save some for AR's but have fun you deserve it.  Drive up to Ft. Bragg and I'll show you how to party Army Aviation style.  Get a girlfriend, go to the Deja Groove on the riverfront in Savannah if you can't get laid in that place you can't get laid.  I've spent a lotta TDY time at HAAF.  Where you from in Tejano Land.  I'm from Harker Heights a little town an hour north of Austin next to Ft. Hood.  If you ever feel really down call somebody.  If this gets to be a daily thing call a Doctor we don't have enough patriots anymore we don't need to lose any.

Slap my monkey!

Quoted: Like everyone else said have fun.  Shit man your on the coast you got a little change in your pocket spend some of it.  Don't spend all of it save some for AR's but have fun you deserve it.  Drive up to Ft. Bragg and I'll show you how to party Army Aviation style.  Get a girlfriend, go to the Deja Groove on the riverfront in Savannah if you can't get laid in that place you can't get laid.  I've spent a lotta TDY time at HAAF.  Where you from in Tejano Land.  I'm from Harker Heights a little town an hour north of Austin next to Ft. Hood.  If you ever feel really down call somebody.  If this gets to be a daily thing call a Doctor we don't have enough patriots anymore we don't need to lose any.

Heh, I don't think the Army folks like us here too much. But we can always hate the Citadel punks together .
Im feelin much better today though, and thanks to all with the advice. BTW, Im from Midland, its out in the sticks on I-20.

AKsRule..I know Im still a kid, just a frigging homesick overwhelmed kid. Its hard getting used to 4-5 hours of sleep a night, constantly being busy, especially for a former high school bum of the lowest sorts.

But anyways everyone, thanks for the great advice, maybe I can even meet some of you folks one of these days who live around here

Hang in there. Learn what you can while you are in school. After tech school you should get some more freedom. I'm not going to lie, I hated tech school and living in the dorms. Even the best chow hall food day after day tends to suck. Get out on the weekends as much as you can. ( Having no car is a drag). It will end soom and you can get to your first duty station. Holidays are the worst. Spent Thanksgiving in Basic and Christmas in Tech school. Many other holidays away from home in the 18 years since.

Hang in there. I know things seem overwhelming at times. I too spent thanksgiving in basic and christmas in tech school. Although while I was at my school they also had a program where local families would adopt you and bring you to their home for dinner. The family that I had dinner with really adopted me for the time I was there in school. I had no vehicle, but they would come and get me most weekends and I would stay with them. I really appreciated being away from the barracks for even a little while. Even when I went to my permanent duty station, I never became a barracks rat. I always left on my days off. I saw too many become barracks rats and alcholics. Where ever I am I take the opportunity to see what there is. You never know if you'll be back there and at least you'll be seeing and doing different things.
My 17 year old is now talking to guard recruiters and I am sure he'll be in the same boat,but as parents we'll always be here for him to vent to talk to etc. We've been there and done that so we know what it is like. You always have the board to come to and any one of us will listen and help you out. Things will get better and once your done with school it will ease up. I have worked most holidays when I was in the sevice. I always let the married ones with kids be home with their families. It was the least I could do. I also had a bunch of single G.I.'s at my house for a holiday dinner after our shift. It wasn't with family but you make the best out of the situation your in.
Good luck and thank you for serving.
Susanne

You need more sleep.  If you were used to getting only 4 - 5 hours of sleep before you went in, then it would be OK now.

You can get away without some sleep for a week or two, but beyond that...

The lack of sleep, along with being away from home, new environment, etc., could add to your propensity for depression.

The best thing to do is make a few friends and gain the trust of the men serving next to you. Just like family trust is very important. Go shooting, chase a few women and shoot the lock off your wallet and buy a few beers.

Ive been there done that and go the t-shirt.

I used my time to get a pilots licence, scuba licence, and stayed away from the booze and the west-pac widows.  It wasnt until my last few years that I really made buddies but I did finish a few goals I set for myself including appling for Officer programs and such.  Try to pick a goal and even if your to busy with  work one day it will wait for you when you get back..now is the time to take care of all those things you always dreamed about but never had the sack to do it.

Sometimes when I feel low, I just DO SOMETHING that's off-the-wall.

How can you be depressed when you've just gone for a walk with a Seeing Eye Cat?


(They don't allow pets in the barracks, but if you get an invivible dog, they'll never find him!