Need some advice | TheaterFire

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ltcterry@reddit

It's not really the medication that's the problem. It's the reason you were prescribed the med that's the issue.

You are not going to be a good candidate for a medical. Imagine an airliner with the Captain and First Officer having the same symptoms/diagnoses you've listed. Would you put your family and friends on that airplane? Would your family and friends put their family and friends on that airplane? Would the public relations office put that crew on an airplane?

The FAA's job is to keep the air safe for passengers. Not to get as many pilots in the air as possible. You could pursue a medical, but even after a long and expensive process, you'd likely not get it.

There's an 80% dropout rate for Private. Then only half of Private Pilots complete the next step, an instrument rating. And that's only half way to entry level jobs.

Is it worth spending a shit ton of money to pursue a medical required for training you are statistically highly unlikely to complete? Here's my suggestion:

Consider doing Private in a glider or Sport Pilot in a suitable airplane. No medical required. If you happen to be in the 20% that actually finishes, only then consider what's next. Please only do this if you genuinely feel safe and up to it on any given day.

In any case, call around and find a "HIMS AME" who has helped pilots through this before and schedule a *consultation* to discuss the odds, the process, timeline, and the likely expense. Even if this means going out of town.

You can fly. You can even eventually get paid to instruct. But the odds are high that you are not going to be a commercial pilot in an airplane. Though for bragging rights you could do it in a glider.

At the end of the day, your mental, behavioral, and emotional well being is far more important than what's in your wallet. Find good healthcare team that will take good care of you. Then you get really smart on taking good care of you. Your contribution to the world will be ever so much better then.

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KCSnaxter@reddit (OP)

Hi,

I appreciate the time you took to respond to this, but I’m sorry to say I don’t agree with your statements. I’ve never been someone with suicidal ideation, my “depressive symptoms” all usually come from lack of motivation during certain aspects of my life. I do not feel as if I ever have been, or will be, a threat to myself or others in any capacity, let alone when it would be in regards to my passion or career. I think a lot of these concerns come from a stigma around mental health, and not the reality of the people who live with it. Sure, there are cases which won’t be suitable due to the severity of their crises, but I highly doubt those types of folks would be able to get through the necessary trainings and seek out such a high pressure job in the first place. Many people my age have been seen by a therapist at one point in their life to address an instance or two of mental health concerns, it doesn’t mean they’re out on the deep end.

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ltcterry@reddit

“ Many people my age have been seen by a therapist at one point in their life to address an instance or two of mental health concerns, it doesn’t mean they’re out on the deep end.”

Absolutely true. But that doesn’t mean you’re not. You wrote “major depressive disorder” and “seeing a therapist most of my life.” Followed by “another stubborn flair up in August.”

That is not “an instance or two.”

Your own self description is not the same as a teenager being naturally sad about the loss of a grandparent and getting help to work through a transient situation. The FAA is ok with that.

Instead of looking at the realistic path I described/offered, you just got defensive. That’s not positive.

I didn’t mention suicide. But let me tell you I’m very aware of it. I lost a brother to mental illness. A Soldier who worked for me in Iraq killed himself. As did another Soldier in our Brigade Headquarters.

I was working in Germany for the Army doing a job I really liked but came home early because of my son’s treatable mental health issues. He works hard and makes good money, but he’ll never get a medical.

I understand this better and more personally than most.

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TurnipNo9566@reddit

yea i do agree with this! airline pilots do deal with a lot of work related stress, fatigue, performance pressure, evaluations etc. not to mention the years of stress getting there, Huge ups & downs in the job market, frequent check rides, isolation, financial struggles, etc. i imagine it would be hard to get through if you’re already struggling with anxiety and depression. OP there are other aviation related careers that are easier to get into & still pay more if that’s what you’re after

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rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

Hey folks,

So recently in my area, they created a program to get your private and commercial pilots license in 3 semesters worth of schooling. I was initially very interested, but have now done some further research, and am concerned about my eligibility.

I’ve been diagnosed with major depressive disorder and have been working with a therapist for most of my life- a lot of my symptoms are more anxiety based, but the depression flares up every now and again. Unfortunately in August I had another stubborn flare up, and I was talked into trying a medication temporarily to treat the symptoms, even though I hadn’t needed medication since adolescence, and I’ve now gone off of it.

If I’m understanding correctly, a diagnosis of major depressive disorder in general is cause for deferral, yeah? Even if I hadn’t tried the medication? Or could I wait two years since stopping the med and try again? I don’t want to invest any time or money into this endeavor if it’s going to be Pointless; but if I can try again in two years, I’ll just put it on the back burner.

Thanks in advance.

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TurnipNo9566@reddit

you’ll need a case-by-case evaluation. it’s not impossible but very difficult. if it’s just for fun you could get your light sport which only requires a driver’s license. you can also technically be a flight instructor with only BasicMed (so you could still be a money making pilot), which i think is technically easier to get in terms of physical health. i’m not sure when it comes to mental health

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IllContribution7496@reddit

BasicMed requires you to get a medical one time. The mental health requirements are the same for all classes of medical.

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TurnipNo9566@reddit

okay thank you for clarifying that!!

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KCSnaxter@reddit (OP)

I was hoping to make this into a career, I’m 27 with a decent job, just looking to get into something more financially elevated than what I’m in now. Just trying to figure out if I’d have a chance, or if I should just quit my inquiries before I even start based off of what I’m reading. The “fast track” stuff I was reading seemed pretty convoluted, which is why I came to Reddit haha.

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DefundTheHOA_@reddit

Yes, you will not be able to hold a medical right now

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KCSnaxter@reddit (OP)

Would the MDD diagnosis be a permanent deferral, or is it just the medication that’s the issue?

Thanks for your response!

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DefundTheHOA_@reddit

Yes, permanent

There is an avenue to get a medial but it involves a lot of time and money. People have been successful in reversing the FAA’s decision but it’s not a guarantee

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