Mental Health and The Pilot

Recently I have been asked if a pilot can get help with mental health without reporting that to the FAA. The answer is yes, if that help is counseling. As identified on the 8500 form, we are required to report all visits to doctors. However, if you read the last line of item 19 it clearly says, “The applicant should list visits for counseling only if related to a personal substance abuse or psychiatric condition.”

If a counselor can’t help you and recommends a psychiatrist, do not think your career is over. There are many conditions that can be treated and the FAA has identified certain medications that pilots can fly with. If you need help, get it. Work with your AME. But start with a good counselor and you do not have to report that on your medical certificate application. Sometimes talking to a professional who can provide life management strategies can help work through your difficult time. 

Mental Health 

in 

Flight For Truth

While novels are fiction, most writers, like myself, write to educate and inform the reader beyond entertainment. What you can learn regarding mental health and the pilot in my latest novel Flight For Truth is:  

• What to do if your airline uses mental health as a weapon. 
• Read an actual interview with a forensic psychiatrist.
• How to navigate a mental health evaluation. 
• If your company forces you into a psychiatric evaluation, what to do. 
• Learn the law that will protect you if your company uses your mental health as discipline.
• Don’t give up, you can persevere despite all odds. 
• If you lose your medical, your life is not over. It will only be different.