What do I do?

Question

My husband is deployed and has been for about six weeks. Today we were talking and he said that he wants to break his leg or ankle so he gets sent home and that he wants to talk to his ship's chaplain about being separated from the Navy. I really, really don't know what to do here...someone please help me...I don't want him to get hurt or hurt himself and I want him to be happy.
Update: he talked to his chiefs and they helped him start the discharge process. He will most likely start seeing a psychiatrist when he gets back

Answer

Hurting himself will not guarantee he’ll be sent home. My husband was on 9 month deployment with the Army and 6 months in, he hurt his shoulder very badly and had to be driven to the closest hospital, which was an hour away. He was only 3 months out from being home and they still didn’t let him leave early to tend to his injury. He was given Ibuprofen, a sling, and told not to raise his arm at all. Now he’s home, it’s been 6 months since he returned, and he’s still waiting to be booked for surgery. What I’m saying is, injuring himself won’t guarantee he’ll be sent home, but it will guarantee he will suffer physically until he is somewhat healed, and after that, it’s back to normal deployment duties like it never happened. You don’t just get sent home for a minor injury like a broken leg, especially when on a deployment.
His best option would be to speak to his command and ship’s chaplain regarding these dark thoughts about hurting himself, wanting to leave the Navy, etc. They will likely refer him to medical to speak to a behavioral health specialist to evaluate the situation and determine what the best course of action would be... Medication, therapy, discharge, etc.

Answer

Best advice from someone’s who actually deployed and absolutely hated the beginning of it:
Don’t hurt yourself. It’s not guaranteed that you’ll even get taken home. 
Instead of dwelling on how much you have left get a better attitude. You signed up for a reason. Once you change your mindset life will get easier. 
And when I say you, I mean him.  
At the end of the day he joined to do what he’s doing right now. Suck it up and keep moving forward. And if he is still set on hurting himself to get back then he needs help mentally. Good luck.

Answer

I’d be most concerned with his current mental health. I absolutely would encourage him to speak to the chaplain or his medical. 
The fact that he feels so trapped and low he’d hurt himself is a huge red flag. 
Be supportive and listen to him but don’t blow off his emotions. If he’s expressed to you a desire to hurt himself, take it seriously.

Answer

He should definitely talk to the chaplain. However, breaking his leg to get out of deployment is malingering and he can most definitely get in trouble for that.

Answer

How long does he have left on his contract? As the other person stated, him hurting himself doesn't guarantee that he would come home. I'm not sure how the Navy treats their soldiers, but the Army is pretty shitty when a person needs medical attention. He can speak with the Chaplain and they will probably give some advice, but I'm not sure they can do much in regards to him wanting to get out... 
Your husband is most likely going through a rough patch since he's deployed and can't be around you, family, and friends which is quite stressful on a person. I would definitely recommend or suggest he gets with behavioral health as the other person commented as well because his logic and though process is somewhat alarming.

What do I do?

Let's Glow!

The Top Baby Tracker App: Embrace New Beginnings with Tender Care

The Top Fertility Tracker App: Your Path to Achieving Pregnancy

The Top Pregnancy App: Nurturing Your Journey to Motherhood

The Top Period Tracker for Empowering Your Menstrual Health Journey