FOID Application and Mental Health Question

[adm1987]

I was in the process of doing my FOID application, and I'm not sure if I should answer yes or no on the mental health question. I tried to google this and see if I could find an answer, and just can't seem to find a straight one. I guess they've worded it so vaguely that I've noticed I'm not the only one with this issue. I have gone and sought outpatient treatment with a psychiatrist (counseling and meds) for depression and anxiety, but this was more than 5 years ago. However, I did get antidepressants from my regular doctor within the past year (which I am no longer taking), and did weekly counseling for about 6 months. This was not with a psychologist, just a social worker. However, the facility I went to for this was a facility for mental health and substance abuse treatment, but it was strictly an outpatient facility. But I just went there to vent to the social worker about issues I was having at home that have since been resolved; I never once saw a psychiatrist while I was going there. I have never been hospitalized for anything, mental health or otherwise.

 

I don't want to get in trouble for putting down the wrong answer. But from what I could gather, "patient" in the law means either inpatient, or outpatient while also being a danger to self or others. Since I'm neither of those things, I feel like I should say no. But the question is asking if I've been a patient at a mental health facility in the past 5 years. And technically I have, but it was for 6 months of counseling with a social worker because I was stressed out at home and needed to vent to someone. So I'm kind of confused about the whole thing. I don't want to scrap it and wait another 5 years, but I also don't want to accidentally screw myself up and never be able to get my FOID. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Edited May 7, 2018 at 12:02 AM by adm1987