New Forum 'Flying Solo'

[Jodelophile]

Just to let you know that there is a new Pprune forum called 'Flying Solo' the aim of which is to provide mutual support to professional UK based pilots who are suffering from, stress, depression, anxiety, or any other mental health problem. As well as providing mutual support there will also be links to self-help sites, books, etc on mental health matters.
Aviation is a demanding and stressful profession and there is a need for somewhere to shares ones concerns and receive some support from fellow pilots and if necessary, advice on how to find professional help.

[bellaolive912]

Brilliant!

Let's try and wipe away the significant burden that this illness still attracts. Suffering from mental illness does NOT mean an end to your career, lifestyle or anything else. Early acknowledgement and intervention (self or otherwise) can be the key!

Good Luck to all involved!:D

[qwertyuiop]

A really good idea, however I just tried to view and was told

qwertyuiop, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

[bellaolive912]

Once logged in, hit the 'contact us' link at bottom of page to contact administrator. I think that you will need to register specifically for that particular forum.:8

[marioair]

Why not make it a public forum - in the spirit of what you're trying to promote?

[PPRuNe Towers]

Staying private for now - the traffic on this forum concerning such issues is the spur. When the world doesn't collapse with the discussion things can change. I see a couple more applications lurking and I'll sort them out later this evening rather than on an iPhone.

Rob

[cavortingcheetah]

A public forum?

Just think what even the responsible side of the press would do were it to think, for one single solitary second, that there could be a forum dealing with 'mentally deranged' pilots.
You can sculpt the descriptive language any way you might like. You must surely know full well what some elements of the journo squad could do with it.

[Bank_Left]

I think this is a very good initiative, but I believe the World will unfortunately collapse a good many years from now, if it comes to light that also pilots suffer from depression. So I hope the best for this forum, and I hope it offers some relief for the afflicted.

[Jodelophile]

The new forum Flying Solo is not to suggest that pilots suffer from psychological problems any more than those in other professions, but it is a stressful job and combined with other non work related demands, can lead to insomnia, anxiety and depression, this is a perfectly normal response. Mutual support and information about self-help material is often all that is needed.

[was gingernut]

Power to your elbow :-)

[cavortingcheetah]

One side of me agrees whilst the other does not entirely do so.

[was gingernut]

Keeping things "hidden" may reinforce the stigma attached to mental illness, but I can understand the reasoning in this case.

[bellaolive912]

All the comments thus far have been very positive. :D

'Flying Solo' is a genuine attempt by those touched by and involved in mental health to offer aircrew currently in need get mutual peer support and to help promote a new 'openness' to this heavily stigmatised illness.

[robbor]

This is a great initiative and great to be a part of it. Rob

[HowlingMad Murdock]

:)I concur, according to research done by Mental Health charities - 1 in 4 people are said to experience Mental Distress at some point in their life. Jodelophile - 'Flying Solo' sounds like an excellent supportive forum to explore issues within a 'safe' environment and promote Mental Wellbeing. All the best.

[robbor]

Yes, and from recent research, 1 in 10 people in the general population are currently being prescribed some form of psychoactive medication. So mental distress is far more prevalent than may seem at first sight.

[cavortingcheetah]

There's one thing then to help a chap over a temporary mental or emotional disturbance, there's quite another were an attempt made to influence overall or specific standards so as to facilitate the expansion of a professional base to include a greater number of those for whom sophisticated auto pilot systems were designed and developed.
In any event, casting a backward look at the past, the inescapable conclusion has to be that, even in the days when commercial air passenger transport was real fun and amusing, a career in aviation is an exercise in insanity. Gaga in the Gulfstream would make such a good title for an aeronautical biography chapter.

[bellaolive912]

Thank you for your words of support Robbor. We are very pleased that someone with your knowledge and expertise in this field is on-board with the project :D

[robbor]

Thank you for the welcome! I am an Aviation Clinical Psychologist - which may sound boring and/or scary, or both. Although I am a low-life PPL I have a keen interest in mental well-being in aviation and considered to have enlightened and modern views regarding pilot mental well-being. I am working with the crew licensing authorities to move towards a position where certain prescribed medications would not automatically lead to loss of a medical, and also to a position where mental health issues can be addressed in the workplace without fear of immediate adverse consequence. In this respect, other professions/vocations are ahead of us. Hopefully the ground to be covered will be achieved sooner. A first port of call for any of us in some distress is our family/friends as social support has been shown to help significantly. For professional support I know a number of excellent colleagues who are well-versed with the licensing requirements and with aviation fraternity and it's unique issues and always happy to pass on recommendations. It's an honour to be a part of this forum. Rob

[bellaolive912]

Just a gentle reminder - if anyone out there in UK is currently suffering with an issue, please feel free to register for 'Flying Solo' forum by using 'contact us' button at bottom of forum page. Once vetted, you can post.

It is there to give informal, helpful and confidential support from peers in the industry who care.

[Jodelophile]

And we are gathering quite a large number of links to self-help websites and printed material that will support pilots who are under psychological stress as often mutual support and some reading material can be a huge help.

[west lakes]

May be of use to some, feel free to post in the new forum

Time To Change | let's end mental health discrimination (http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/)


http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/timetotalkday

[Loose rivets]

Not quite sure how this works. I've just pressed the button to re-apply, having not tried before.

Two of my brood are at different ends of the psychology spectrum. One a uni professor and the UK one, my daughter, spending time on the front line with 'clients' that at times had me more than a little worried about her safety. Very different science, but both focusing on the mind's challenges. I've seen it from the other side of the metaphorical couch.

People so often talk about stress. It seems to be a catchall for a huge range of perceived problems. So often stress is a productive pressure, while deep underlying worry and emotional disturbances are desperately destructive. A fine line sometimes.

Anyway, if I'm given a key to the door I'm sure I will gain benefit from it in what are bleak times, but also add something constructive to the discussions.

Yet another Rob.