Dealing with Mental Health, Anxiety and Depression

[digsy]

I am interested in others views on dealing with mental health while going through flying training and a career as a pilot, and what helped you, especially if you have had a similar journey to me. I am in the process of changing careers and getting my CPL, however one of the initial hurdles has been getting past the medical evaluations, including the Psych review. I have had independent Psych review sessions with a consultant and I have now gained the Class 2, and hope to convert to Class 1 in July when reviewed by the CAA.

Just a brief history, I gained a PPL back in 1998, and did a year of air squadron at university, and I wanted to get into a flying career but at the time didnt have the self belief or funds to progress. I tried a few sponsorship interviews but wasn't succesful. I'm sure there are plenty of people who have been in that position. I have had periods in my life where I have felt the pressure of study, life changes, and an IT career which I never wanted to be doing. Some of those times during periods of work pressure I have taken time out of work as I couldn't deal with the job while feeling the anxiety. I have had medication, which I didnt feel helped, and I continued to function in my job and progressed to a decent salary and role. About 3 years ago issues with my marriage came to a head and separation and divorce happened, which added to the pressure. I since got paid out of my IT career over a year ago, during the divorce when I couldn't keep the job going to the level needed. I am in a good place now but am concerned about my history and it does play on my mind when thinking about the new career. I'm 46 now so that does bring other pressures, but I can see a future and am funding my way into a modular route to CPL, building hours and getting started on the ATPL ground school. I'm building campervans to pay the bills, but its not what I want to be doing as a main job.

Any advice would be appreciated, I am keen to find the right support. However, I am worried about going down a medical route to find help and keep my stable mental health as I don't want more on my medical history going forwards, and worry about losing the Class 1 once I've got it.

Many thanks

[OvertHawk]

Best of luck

Minimise your financial expenditure as much as possible until you've got the class 1 situation clarified

If you need medical help to maintain your health then i strongly suggest that you take it - even if that sacrifices your goal of flying commercially.

I'm sure you can see how a situation where you feel you want help but are afraid to ask for it could rapidly add to your stress and anxiety levels and snowball into an undesirable place.

Commercial aviation can be a brutal environment particularly for those joining later in life when everything is just that wee bit harder work.

Either way - all the best and make sure you look after yourself!

OH

[digsy]

Thanks OH, I am doing everything I can to keep myself in the best shape mentally and physically, and it's working for me right now. I am talking about how I feel and finding the right people to support me through tough times.

Do you mind if I ask, have you had to deal with it personally or have you had colleagues who have? I'm interested in how it's managed and dealt with in aviation, given the working environment.

[redsnail]

Firstly, well done on managing such a condition and seeking appropriate help. Secondly, well done on maintaining both mental and physical fitness. As you well know, the 2 go hand in hand.

May I ask what are your goals re flying? Airlines? Instructing? General Aviation?

I am sure you're well aware of the issues that the first officer of Germanwings had? He's the individual that decided to crash the Airbus into the French hills. His mental health had not been adequately managed, not saying you're not managing well, but folks may get twitchy about it.
At work we've had some mental health cases. One was returned to work successfully, others, unfortunately have left the industry. Others decided alcohol was better than treatment. The pilot that had a severe bout of depression had authority mandated time off and assessment before getting his medical back. Then under a very carefully managed programme he was returned to flying status.

Some authorities are ok with SSRIs and prescribed medication for depression and mental health issues. Other authorities are a strict "no".

Good luck with your Class 1 medical.

[digsy]

Thanks Redsnail
I am also aware of the tragic GermanWings incident and the steps now required of airlines and the industry as a whole as a result. I can see that those working alongside those struggling with these issues may be twitchy, given the pressures and responsibility of the role and the dependency on a clear thinking colleague in the cockpit. I would also want to be on top form and to not be a risk, hence the need to manage it. I am not an alcohol risk taker, but know that I need other ways to manage it, including sports, meditation, nutrition as well as measured progress towards my goal.
I am hoping to get into private jets, cargo or general aviation, not necessarily the airline route, but am open to options once qualified.
thanks for your support on the medical

[Miles2Go]

Thanks for sharing about your experience - it takes courage. I can relate to the pressures of changing careers and life transitions adding to anxiety. A few thoughts from my own coping journey:

Focus on one day at a time and small wins. Comparing to others just adds stress. You've come so far already in getting your cert back - that's huge.

Keep close your support system. For me, daily exercise, journaling feelings, and friends/family who understand without judgment help so much.

Maybe look for flyer mentor you vibe with, to ease worries about coworker perceptions over time. We all have things we navigate. You've clearly got this!

[digsy]

Thanks Milestogo
top advice, it's easy to be too focused on the long view or past history, i'm sure the path will become clear with the first steps.
When did you change career if you don't mind me asking?

[dss3000]

That's all stressful, don't I know it. I'll talk about what I do to manage my anxiety, which I hope will be helpful for some.

Firstly, I prioritize self-care, making sure I get enough sleep, eat well, and exercise regularly (running is my favorite).

Also, I do mindfulness and meditation practices. For this, I use the app Calmer (https://gocalmer.com/). It has guided meditation, and I usually do it when I wake up to set the tone for the day. Or when I have a free moment, I go to a quiet place and do it.

digsy, if you feel the need for therapy or something like that, it's better to go to a professional. Don't let it be like that, it might get worse.

[Uplinker]

My thoughts are with the OP. This is going to be tough to read, but.........

If you are considering an airline career, I really worry that you might be too old now. You will be 48 or older after qualifying, with a frozen ATPL, no airline experience and almost no hours. Chief pilots are generally looking for younger pilots with at least 500 hours and 30+ years of working life ahead of them, or dead cert experienced pilots who have a proven record of being able to pass any recurrent Sim or new type rating. An easyJet Training Captain elsewhere on Pprune has stated that they would treat with suspicion any pilot who was not a Captain by the age of 50, so any person at the age of 48 with no big jet hours or anything would no doubt be similarly viewed ?

If everything went perfectly, and you passed all your exams and tests first time, and had no delays to your flying programme and were lucky to catch a recruiting frenzy, you might get an airline job. But I think it is unlikely. I have 20 years and just under 12,000 hours TT of flying including A330 long-haul, but several long-haul airlines flying that type have recently said no to me - even though I could just slot straight into their flying programme doing the same thing I have done for years. They are being ageist. I have all the relevant experience and type ratings and Class 1 medical.

I obviously don't know what your goal is, but flying is really not all glamourous. It can be at the top, and at the level I attained; big shiny long-haul jets to (sometimes) exotic destinations, but to get there, I started flying the night mail in ancient cargo turbo-props, and slowly worked my way up. Those early years were not easy, with difficult aircraft, difficult rosters, and difficult Captains. My first marriage did not survive my being away so much, in pursuit of my new career.

I changed career back in 1997, 11 years younger than you are now, and I made it, but back then, airlines would pay for your type ratings, and the airline world was a different place, before rostering and fatigue became an issue. (The Unions and company councils have mostly been nobbled, by the way, so there is no help from them).

If you are determined to do this - good luck - but I personally think it is a very precarious path. And especially if you have anxiety issues; it probably isn't for you. Quite apart from the continuous hoop-jumping and intensive recurrent 2 day SIM tests every 6 months that pilots have to pass just to attain and retain all the paperwork, licenses etc, flying a big jet can be quite intense. There will be very demanding days in the cockpit; Not only flying a turbulent cross-wind approach, but all the faff on the ramp before you even get airborne - Passenger delays, Slot delays, Baggage delays, Handling agents having lots of staff going sick on significant football match days etc. Crew hours, Having to take minimum fuel, Carrying MEL defects, Fatigue, etc etc.

For the same money, you could perhaps get into motorsport or buy a nice yacht and go sailing around the Med.