The actual help you get when you find yourself put in the system, from doctors, through DCMH, through community psychiatric nurses, to the consultant psychiatrists themselves is absolutely excellent. Like Bob, I found myself having to use it after noticing several things that were out of character that I didn't want to continue.
In my case, I did get grounded; in the end, permanently. But, critically, I'm better. I'm healthier, and can realise that staying where I was would have been so bad that a grounding would have been the least of my worries. It is genuinely terrifying to think I could have been on a trajectory that ended like Nick's.
There are still stigmas attached though, and I know lots of ex-colleagues who considered it either malingering or a cheap way to get out of a return of service! From senior officers, I saw nothing but lip service, and comments after the fact about how we needed to "look out for each other" after a friend was rapidly posted and discharged. In one case, when I spoke to a senior officer about some issues, he resorted to bullying, threatening me with postings and unattractive working patterns if I didn't step into line.
It's certainly a lonely situation. My last station had lots of people posting on social media about supporting mental health in the armed forces and encouraging everyone to reach out if they thought a colleague was fragile, but I don't think a single one of them actually spoke to me at the time. Lots of effort put into encouraging others to do the right thing, and not much actual action!
The provision of care is fantastic, life-savingly so. What's sad is an environment that makes people feel like they can't use it.