Depression and flying

In a previous article, "Jay Honeck" said:
"Feeling a bit down" is not depression. Coming to terms with the fact
that your brother sadistically beat you, tortured you and worse when you
were 12 to 14 is depression. You don't just shake stuff like that off by
going flying.

Sorry, Paul. I hope you know I wasn't making light of your condition, and I
wish you well.

Thanks, Jay.

I'm still pretty bummed out and angry about the whole thing, but after two
years of therapy (including 2 months of Welbutrin to get over a time when
I wasn't making any progress in therapy) I can say pretty confidently that
I'm not depressed any more.

--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
"If Bill Gates had a dime for every time a Windows box crashed...
..... Oh, wait a minute, he already does."

Paul Tomblin wrote:
"Feeling a bit down" is not depression. Coming to terms with the fact
that your brother sadistically beat you, tortured you and worse when you
were 12 to 14 is depression. You don't just shake stuff like that off by
going flying.

Nawh, you shake that stuff off by going to the gun range with a picture
of your brother... And then going to his house afterwards... In such a
situation, you are depressed because you feel helpless that feel that
you can't do anything about it... The solution is to do something about
it... Take a baseball bat and beat the crap out of the other
individual... When every bone in his body is broken and he's begging
you to put him out of his misery, you'll find that you're not so
depressed anymore... If you're unlucky enough to not be able to do this
because he's already dead, go **** on his grave... Awh 'ell, take a
couple of 6-packs with you so that you'll have plenty of ammo...

After that, go get laid and go flying... Depression cured...

by (Paul Tomblin) Feb 9, 2006 at 02:42 PM


I spent two years without a medical because I took Welbutrin for two
months. Is it any wonder that pilots who suspect that they are suffering
from depression don't seek treatment?

A serious submission from me:

Suspended for two years! That's a long time. Wellbutrin is the same
medication used in an anti smoking drug (Zyban). I wonder if treatment
for anti-smoking using Zyban disqualifies you for medical.

Personally, I don't smoke, but a few years back (in '01) I was on Lexapro
for a few months after sudden death of a loved one. I resisted the doc's
advice to take it(the whole macho thing: sign of weakness, just get over
it, that sort of thing), but after I took it for a while I felt better,
and phased it out.

Would that episode prevent me from getting a real license (PPL)? (I'm not
interested in the sport license, which strikes me as a waste of time unless
you wanna fly in circles for fun...)

In a previous article, "Skylune" said:
Suspended for two years! That's a long time. Wellbutrin is the same
medication used in an anti smoking drug (Zyban). I wonder if treatment
for anti-smoking using Zyban disqualifies you for medical.

Yes, Zyban is disqualifying.

Personally, I don't smoke, but a few years back (in '01) I was on Lexapro
for a few months after sudden death of a loved one. I resisted the doc's

Lexapro is also disqualifying. As is any other SSRI antidepressant.

Would that episode prevent me from getting a real license (PPL)? (I'm not
interested in the sport license, which strikes me as a waste of time unless
you wanna fly in circles for fun...)

To get a medical, you'd have to prove that the drug is no longer affecting
you (which isn't hard if you haven't taken it in a few weeks) but also
that the condition that it's treating no longer affects you. Both my
primary care physician and my psychologist had to write letters to the FAA
for me. Then it took them over a year to process them, because half of
the doctors in the aeromedical branch were called up by their reserve
units. Then I got a special issuance for a year, and after the year was
up the FAA needed letters from the PCP and psychologist again, and then I
got a normal medical.


--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
You cannot run Windows innocently. Guilt of aiding & abetting, at
the very least, is automatic.
-- David P. Murphy

To get a medical, you'd have to prove that the drug is no longer
affecting
you (which isn't hard if you haven't taken it in a few weeks) but also
that the condition that it's treating no longer affects you. Both my
primary care physician and my psychologist had to write letters to the
FAA
for me. Then it took them over a year to process them, because half of
the doctors in the aeromedical branch were called up by their reserve
units. Then I got a special issuance for a year, and after the year was
up the FAA needed letters from the PCP and psychologist again, and then I
got a normal medical.

(I know I'm opening myself up for a ton of abuse, but what the hell....)

So it was the stupid bureaucracy that held you up, rather than any kind of
waiting period. That's good info. Thanx.

Since my episode of blackness was several years ago without a relapse
(I've learned to vent a bit more... ;-) ), would I need to declare that?

"Skylune" wrote in message
lkaboutaviation.com...
To get a medical, you'd have to prove that the drug is no longer
affecting
you (which isn't hard if you haven't taken it in a few weeks) but also
that the condition that it's treating no longer affects you. Both my
primary care physician and my psychologist had to write letters to the
FAA
for me. Then it took them over a year to process them, because half of
the doctors in the aeromedical branch were called up by their reserve
units. Then I got a special issuance for a year, and after the year was
up the FAA needed letters from the PCP and psychologist again, and then I
got a normal medical.

(I know I'm opening myself up for a ton of abuse, but what the hell....)

So it was the stupid bureaucracy that held you up, rather than any kind of
waiting period. That's good info. Thanx.

Since my episode of blackness was several years ago without a relapse
(I've learned to vent a bit more... ;-) ), would I need to declare that?




Yes you would.

"Paul Tomblin" wrote in message
...
In a previous article, "Skylune" said:
Suspended for two years! That's a long time. Wellbutrin is the same
medication used in an anti smoking drug (Zyban). I wonder if treatment
for anti-smoking using Zyban disqualifies you for medical.

Yes, Zyban is disqualifying.

Personally, I don't smoke, but a few years back (in '01) I was on Lexapro
for a few months after sudden death of a loved one. I resisted the doc's

Lexapro is also disqualifying. As is any other SSRI antidepressant.

Would that episode prevent me from getting a real license (PPL)? (I'm
not
interested in the sport license, which strikes me as a waste of time
unless
you wanna fly in circles for fun...)

To get a medical, you'd have to prove that the drug is no longer affecting
you (which isn't hard if you haven't taken it in a few weeks) but also
that the condition that it's treating no longer affects you.


Wow! Zyban for smoking Lose Medical Stop taking Zyban Start Smoking again
never get medical back! Ouch!!!! Glad I Quit Cold Turkey over 2 years ago
now not 1 relapse!

Many years ago, I was diagnosed with depression because of a lack of ability
to concentrate. I took a mild prescription of Prozac. It helped some.

A few years later I was canoeing in the North West Territories of Canada
(the Nahanni River) on guided tour. The second day (bear with me here) one
of the other paddlers came up to me and asked if I knew that I snored like
there was no tomorrow and that it sounded like I stopped breathing from time
to time. He thought it was sleep apnea and I should look into it.

I did. I had sleep apnea. I did something about it and the doctor asked if I
was on any anti-depressants. I said I was. He said you don't need anti
depressants. You need sleep.

I did.

Several years later I took up flying. In order to get a medical after
declaring that I once took anti-depressants, Transport Canada required
several tests and Doctors letters but I got (and still have ) my medical.

Marc
CYBW

Calgary

"... cold, but it's a dry cold."





"Paul Tomblin" wrote in message
...
In a previous article, "Flyingmonk" said:
HELENA - A 21-year-old flight instructor from Butte apparently
committed suicide Monday by crashing his company's helicopter into a
Helena hayfield, but only after placing a call to the air traffic
control tower and informing them of his intentions.
The man, identified as Patrick Pfeifhofer, of Italy, was working as a
flight instructor for Silver State Helicopters in Butte on a visa.

I spent two years without a medical because I took Welbutrin for two
months. Is it any wonder that pilots who suspect that they are suffering
from depression don't seek treatment?


--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
"Grove giveth and Gates taketh away."
- Bob Metcalfe (inventor of Ethernet) on the trend of hardware
speedups
not being able to keep up with software demands

"Marc CYBW" wrote

He said you don't need anti
depressants. You need sleep.

I did.

Several years later I took up flying. In order to get a medical after
declaring that I once took anti-depressants, Transport Canada required
several tests and Doctors letters but I got (and still have ) my medical.

So, what did you do to help with the sleep apnea? Or did you have to do
anything?
--
Jim in NC