I know where I’m not going to begin, at the moment I’m not really
into sharing the path that led to my being diagnosed with and treated for
depression.
Maybe another time.
At the moment just accept it for what it is. I have Depression and
am receiving treatment for it. Part of that involves being on medication.
Now I’m lucky in many respects, firstly I don’t appear to be having
much in the way of nasty side effects. Those that I did have went away fairly
quickly. And also I live in a country that has a reasonably progressive
attitude towards SSRIs.
Intellectually I had read all the transport Canada Blurb on their
website and knew that it wasn’t impossible to maintain a Class 3 medical and
take them. But now I’m faced with the reality of dealing with Transport Canada
and, well, emotionally I’m having my ups and downs with it.
As soon as it became obvious that I was going to need help with my
depression, I grounded myself as PIC.
I did a little right hand seat flying, but I was always brutally
honest with the person in the left hand seat. I didn’t do any takeoffs or
landings with them either.
I flew with Bob, to keep my hand in, again in an email I was very upfront
about what was happening with me. No solo flying but an hour with an instructor
was just the thing!
Bob, bless him, took it all in his stride, completely unfazed as
usual. He also helped me out of a
situation that was killing me inside.
My parents were due to visit (it had been nearly three years) and I
desperately wanted to take them flying. I was so eager to show off my newly
acquired piloting skills and it was devastating to think I wouldn’t be able to.
I mentioned this in passing over a coffee with Bob.
“No problem, stick em in the back and I’ll fly with you” he said.
And he did. With the added bonus that my parents got to meet the famous Bob himself.
But now I find myself in the situation where I’ve done the right
thing by grounding myself through the rough times, but I’m feeling better. Much
better. Even if it is “better but on medication”
I want to fly again, solo even. And I know to do that I need to
involve Transport Canada.
The question was…….where do I even begin?
It sounds like you've got a good handle on the situation. I want to congratulate you for not only accepting that you were in a place where you needed help of some sort, but taking the next step and actually getting it. Clinical Depression is a serious illness. And though its effects are mostly invisible, it's a heavy burden to carry when you are holding it inside and trying to defeat it on your own. I'm fortunate that the issues that plagued my father and grandfather seem to have skipped me, but I have several close friends who suffer from this disease but are getting help.
ReplyDeleteI hope in this situation Transport Canada is as easy to work with and understanding as the FAA seems to be. With my experience I got the impression they really wanted to see me succeed and were willing to work with me as long as I followed the due process. Thank you for sharing this, and know that "better but on medication" is nothing to be down about. Celebrate the fact that you're already victorious just by facing this head-on. The following quote has been attributed to Henry Ford, and though I haven't verified its origin, to me the source is irrelevant since the meaning is sound. It has helped me regain focus in spite of the many delays in my training, and it is extremely relevant.
“When everything seem to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it ....”