Stress - Advice Needed.

[Sunfish]

I am fairly sure I'm suffering from stress at the moment. I've banned myself from flying until its resolved.

Without going into too many personal details, I am in the final stages of dealing as executor and one of the beneficiaries of my parents estate, money is involved and time is of the essence at the moment. The final wakeup call, apart from the excessive alcohol consumption and sleep disturbance, was meeting an acquaintance who said he saw me driving yesterday and waved - but I was speeding with a determined scowl on my face and didn't see him. At the time this happened I was on my way to one more visit to the ^&%$#@$ lawyers to head off another Two weeks of delay and obfuscation. The penny finally dropped.

My question is; what is the likely effect on my class 2 medical renewal if I seek treatment from my local doctor and he prescribed a tranquiliser (SSRI) right now, and I took it? Possibly blood pressure medication as well?

In the longer term, a trip somewhere to lie on a beach will solve the problem, the Estate should be completely distributed by December, and the current issues will be a fading memory, but what is a DAME going to think and do next year?

[Kangaroo Court]

Sunfish,

My heart tears apart when I hear this happening, because we had a student years ago that went through a divorce and told the truth on his medical...and then couldn't fly for six more months, even though it happened a year or so before. He had been prescribed sedatives to get through the stressful time and it had a very adverse affect on his potential career.

My mother and brother both died a couple of years back and the estate was a mess and some of the stress affected me the same way.

I had three months off from flying blaming it more on logistical issues than state of mind.

I would suggest the same to be honest with you!

[Howard Hughes]

At the risk of sounding like a hippy, get some Sedacalm, it's a herbal remedy available from any pharmacy. Just check with the pharmacist that it is OK to take with your BP medication. :ok:

[Sunfish]

Thanks, no BP medication indicated at the moment, i just want to strangle a few solicitors and suchlike!

...there, feel better all ready.

[Bad medicine]

Sunfish,

SSRIs are not a tranquiliser, they are an antidepressant. Their authorised indications in Australia (depending on the particular compound) are for the treatment of major depressive disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic disorder.

Like all medications, they have side-effects which should be carefully weighed against the benefit that they provide. The current recommendation is that, once commenced, they be continued for at least 6 months. Studies show that stopping the medication in less than 6 months leads to a far higher risk of recurrence of symptoms. Withdrawal symtoms on ceasing the medication(although usually minor, but not always) can last weeks to several months.

As far as your renewal goes, CASA evaluate all cases individually. It may be worth speaking to them before embarking on this course of action.

Cheers,

BM

[megle2]

Sunfish, I too may be suffering
I feel as though I must of been dreaming - there was a great leg pulling PPrune thread running on the impossible turn then whoosh its gone - was it ever there, I think I'm losing it, need a break

PS if you have a break from flying you won't need to worry about the flight planning issues on the IPad

[waren9]

Im a firm believer in that by recognising and acknowledging the issue, you're already 90% there.

I dont recommend telling your DAME or CASA. That **** can bite you in the arse later in unrelated ways eg firearms licence renewals etc

[Worrals in the wilds]

i just want to strangle a few solicitors and suchlike!That's not stress, that's normal, sensible behaviour. :E:}
Have you thought about a good psychologist? There are a number of strategies for dealing with stress and anxiety that don't involve alcohol or strangling people, such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and the like. Your local beyondblue should have a few on their web page. CAUTION: some psychs suck. It's good to get a recommendation from a friend, a GP or an organization like BB.

A psych can take you through those and give you some strategies for dealing with blood boilitis. IMHO, if you can stay off meds, all the better.

[adsyj]

I'm with waren9

I recently went through something similar. You have taken the first step. You need to get it out and verbalise to somebody. I was head in the sand thought I could tough it out, in the end it just makes it worse. Have a rant about the cause of your stress unburden yourself.

I went sick for one trip cause my head was definetly not in the game. FWIW I find exercise is great, have a swim in the surf if you can. A mate took me gliding greatest flying I have ever done and absolutely recharged me.

I have also taken a break from the grog and am losing a few kilos with exercise, I feel great. Although I expect to give it a small nudge watching the Wallabies this week lol.

Hang in there:ok:

[Jabawocky]

Mrs Jaba says I don't get stress I give it! I am not sure what the secret is but I usually find that if you just deal with these things one bite at a time itbis a lot easier.

Sure I get peeved off pretty well but after that moment of du by spitting I am almost ice calm again......almost.

My suggestion is this, particularly with the lawyer you have control over. Remember this golden rule, he with the gold rules. That's you.

Cancel their engagement immediately. Pay the bill. Then sit back down with a new and simple engagement contract spelling out what you want and expect and attach KPI's to it, which will ultimately be used to calculate the perfomanced based pay at the end of the project.

Refuse to accept charges such as postage and sundries......coz they are a blatant rip off.

Have two contacts that will be available by mobile phone 24/7 and again KPI's apply.

Make the fokkers work for you. It will get their attention I can assure you.

Then start management of the project like any work job, do not treat it personally, which may be hard to do.

As for any chemical intake try to avoid it altogether booze also!

I hope you get through it easier than you are now:ok:

[JMEN]

Get through it, you sound strong from reading your posts.

Heed the advice and do not volunteer to CASA, that will just cause you long term stress.

You have done the right thing, just get through the immediate future, then time out sit on that beach, no phone, no email, just unwind!

:)

p.s. Why not give some herbal substances a try....... :E

[F.Nose]

Lay off the booze. Every time you feel like a drink do some physical exercise. The more strenuous the better. Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel good. As you exercise you become fitter and you feel stronger. When you feel strong no problem is insurmountable and you have renewed energy.

Talking out your problems also helps.

Also, don't sweat about money....remember, its only money and lots of people who have very little, are very happy.

[Wally Mk2]

'Sunny' yr not alone there, stress is with us all even if we don't recognize or admit it. Some handle stress better/different than others, admitting you have stress that could effect you is probably the most stressful thing about stress:)

Personally if stress is current in my life on any particular day & you can see a confrontational situation looming ( such as you mentioned re driving fast to the Lawyers to give them a serve) what I tend to do is project that current situation/time forward an hour or two & quickly think of the worst case scenario that might arise from it (you know verbal abuse, actual damage to property etc; we are all capable of it under duress). Then when it looks obvious that it could get ugly & you may regret having said/done certain things latter after reflection you right there & then have the ability to reverse it (unlike after the fact) as you haven't even arrived at that point in time as yet. Hard to get yr head around I know but how many times have we ALL gone over a situation AFTER the event & thought sh1t if I only had thought that out BEFORE I went into that office or place & went nuts due stress!!!
Hindsight is a wonderful thing & plays a big part in stress.

There's a saying that I heard in a movie once (Travis Dane, guess the movie) that I always remember..........."chance favours the prepared mind"........:)

Simply put get there in yr mind (the place of potential stress) well before you actually do:ok:


Wmk2

[osmosis]

Several years ago I went through the same thing when I had to deal with handling my parent's estate when they died only weeks apart. Stress is nothing compared to depression and I doubt there are many, if any, who really understand it. It's during these times one needs to gather in close those important to you. I didn't and I pushed away; I don't recommend it.

Disengagement from the current depressing matters is important, no matter how brief. Doing anything involving cardiovascular activity will do wonders; there's a lot to be gained from an hour in the pool lap swimming regardless of how proficient you are.

The monolithic CASA, and the majority of it's minions on short-term contracts, is not supportive of individual circumstance and is not your ally; tell them nothing at this point. Discuss with your GP before discussing anything with your DAME.

[Homesick-Angel]

Having been through pretty much exactly what you are talking about, and also seeking various forms of help I can say that I am longtime on the other side of that period and am glad I got the balls to get help despite the stigma because it's like the difference between night and day.

I would certainly seek medical advice before making any decisions about ssri or any other treatment re medicals, but they are a treatment for anxiety as well.

The thing that CASA will be after is if you are stabilized or not, and this could take some time depending on your current state of mind.

Medical Advice is what your after as every situation is different. None of us here is qualified to comment but There are plenty of ways that may be deemed lefty or hippy which have certainly helped me including meditation/relaxation and looking after myself, but getting off the pi$$ and doing some regular exercise and eating well were a good place to start.

I reckon in life it's pretty common for it to be really hard at times, and it just comes down to whether or not we make it worse or better for ourselves by the way we deal or not deal with it. "Pain is unavoidable, suffering is optional"

Good luck.

[jas24zzk]

Being someone who suffers stress pretty easily, I fully empathize with how you feel. I attempted a stress management course a few years ago, and got sent away with, go here and do this anger management course then come back to us.....:ugh: It worked for me on several fronts.

Your best friend in this situation, is a pen and piece of notebook. When you are driving along and have a thought, pull over and write it down for dealing with later.

When you deal with it.. one page per issue, and attempt an action plan. It might be for some items you need someone else to read your notes and form up some of those action plans for you. Trying to deal with everything at once is the worst.

I'm dealing with a high stress problem at the moment, financially related. My father couldn't see the horizon for the anger levels, so I sat him down and did the above. Mother contributed her bits, I contributed mine. It's a much nicer environment now as we work through each item. Sometimes we only spend 10 minutes each night on an item others we might spend an hour. Once we are done with that, the book is closed and we settle back for the evening.

If you are being pressured into paying bills, but are awaiting the 'process' to be completed, get the ombudsman involved. The creditors are NOT allowed to pressure you in this situation, and once the ombudsman is involved, the harrassing phone calls and mails will stop immediately....even the banks run for cover (as I found out)

Home Page :: Financial Ombudsman Service (http://www.fos.org.au/centric/home_page.jsp)


As for flying. I wouldn't ground myself. That will just take away the oppurtunity to totally forget the issues for a couple of hours, and not give you release from the problems. If you are concerned, take another pilot with you. It is amazing how much better you feel after a $100 hamburger.

Cheers
Jas

[Frank Arouet]

If you want stress, report the matter to CASA. In this regard our "safety" watchdog is culpable by punishing rather than congratulating wise decisions and such an attitude has the potential to cause a significant safety issue.

You are the best judge of you fitness to fly. You appear to have made the decision already. Remember "if in doubt bug out".

Stress can lead to depression which can lead to not very nice places. Be careful you don't let it go too far and consider talking to Black Dog Depression - Home - Black Dog Institute (http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/) or Beyond Blue http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?

There is no shame in doing this and you will probably find that there are fine lines that you may already have crossed.

[VH-XXX]

Stress is likely what caused a Geelong Businessman yesterday to commit suicide by torching his own car. He ran a company with debts of over $20. I'm tipping that you don't have problems as big as his. Therefore, try to cheer up, enjoy the weather that we have today and are about to have next week and get out and about with family and friends. It's amazing what a walk in the sun will do.

BTW: There are plenty of pilots on blood pressure medication, that shouldn't be a drama.

[Jabawocky]

then time out sit on that beach, no phone, no email, just unwind!


:eek::eek::eek: WOT.....and no PPRUNE... :sad:

[Brian Abraham]

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/s320x320/251011_1864711092478_1082031755_1900767_759586_n.jpg

All the best Sunny. :ok:

[VH-FTS]

Sunfish,

I've read your comments over the years and have noticed in the last 12 months you get particularly fired up over Qantas issues. There are times when reading pprune adds to my stress levels, could it be the same for you?

If so, log off from PPrune for a few days, and avoid the newspapers and their one-sided Qantas views.

[Baldnfat]

:ok::ok: for Bad Medicine on this one.
(I don't know why I waited so long to type this but)

CASA with all of their faults are there to help. :eek:

The temporary loss of a class 2 is a much better result in the long term.
Imagine the stress the Class 1 holders in command on the "Skippy" A380's have been under lately.

Enjoy the "ground time" and look forward to brighter days with less stress.

:ok::ok::ok: to you for using a sound bit of airmanship and grounding yourself.

[multime]

Been there and probably still there.
As a wise man Leonard Cohen sang. I fought the bottle but i had to do it drunk. Its an on going battle i,ll personally never win. I,ve lost everything, including a marriage. Too scared to ever admitt the real problem.
Your truely brave and honest. The most heartfelt and couragious post i,ve ever seen on Prune.
Goodluck Sunny. You have everyones support, and best wishs.

[snoop doggy dog]

Your doing the right thing by talking about it mate ;)

There are professionals that can help too :ok:

[Sunfish]

Thank you all for your advice. I actually got things finally moving with the lawyers yesterday after a beneficiary "folded", which is a relief. Agreements made and signed. The rest is mechanical, but getting to this point was a struggle.

I'm off the grog as of yesterday and discovered that the dog is a really good therapist. Now off for a long walk along the beach with said therapist.

[trashie]

Sunfish,

Full marks for your stress disclosures and flying ban. You might like to look at some of the information on the web site Assure Programs - Home Page (http://www.assureprograms.com.au).

They are my company's employee personal consultants.

My greatest concern is the fatigue that you may be experiencing through lack of sleep as this can have long term medical problems.

I happen to facilitate human factors programs for my company, and fatigue has the greatest multiplying effect in making errors.

Even though you are not flying also watch your driving.

Good to see you are now dealing with the situation and dogs are great therapists

Good luck

trashie