Anxiety - Should I Still go for it ?

[anxiouswannabe]

Hi all,

There have been several inspiring threads on this site related to anxiety. Most of these seem to be from people who have experienced it after being established in their career. My case is a little different. I have not yet begun my training. I do not have chronic anxiety but have had two separate "episodes" where I suffered in the last several years. These were both cases where I was unhappy with issues in my personal life. I've never had problems in stressful "professional" situations. I'm wondering if its a show stopper for a beginner to have this medical condition ? Its a lot of money to spend on training to find most of the doors are closed downstream.

What say you ?

[BisleyOReiily]

AnxiousWannabe, Sorry that I am not offering any advice but I am in a similar situation to you only I am quite far into my flight training and have been diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder. As somebody that will be looking for their first airline job upon completion of training (I hope later this year or early next year). I am taking a course of cognitive behavourial therapy and will resume training upon recovery, however, I am concerned that the airlines may regard me as too big a risk (also being a low hours pilot) with this "blip" on my health record? Would this be the case or would the airlines take a more positive outlook if I can demonstrate full recovery?

[g783cef]

I too have suffered from anxiety/stress and would like advice on this matter. From my teens(I am now 29) I started to suffer from social anxiety disorder which basically ruined my school life and any chances of pursuing my ambitions academicaly. I have managed to cure myself through years of self disipline and havent suffered from SAD for years now. However, i have recently had time off for work related stress which was due to a poor working environment and a fairly crappy employer.
I would really like to pursue a career as an airline pilot as it has always been my dream but can't help but think if it will be worth all the expense if i am going to be knocked back due to my medical history. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Albert Driver]

Three apparently genuine requests with no takers so I'll try and start you off.

Professional flying is a highly stressful job. g783's description of "a poor working environment and a pretty crappy employer" is pretty much the general rule in aviation as well. The first thing you must do is take off those rose-tinted glasses, stop making excuses and take a very long cold look at what you would be getting yourself into.

I'll assume you've realised that by taking up flying you are going to be facing your worst demons head on and will either beat them or be left in a far worse state than you are now. Flying is anxiety on a stick. On the assumption you choose to fight, here is something to think about.

Flying is like a stage performance. You try to get a good night's sleep. You wind yourself up, put on your costume, rehearse a few of the more difficult lines...and step into the spotlight. Critical eyes watch your every move. You deliver your first lines. Realising they came out reasonably well, you relax just a shade..and go on to deliver the full performance. No applause at the end, a nod of approval from the trainer or your line captain will have to suffice. You exit stage left. Your critics then tell you in great detail what you did wrong. Now you do whatever you need to do to unwind and get some sleep...and do it all again tomorrow. That's the pilot's life - adrenaline fuelled.

But hey, some of the best stage performers are self-proclaimed, anxiety-overloaded adrenaline junkies. How do they survive? Well, read some of their autobiographies and find out. They will tell you that anxiety is almost never entirely overcome. But it can be controlled and even used to advantage in giving a really good performance.

The critical factor is whether your particular form of anxiety gives you tunnel vision and causes you to miss clues and make mistakes, or whether it heightens your arousal and ultimately may enable you to see further. That is what to look for when you start your training. Usually the selection and initial training process will make the decision for you. If you can't jump through the first few hoops because the anxiety is clouding your judgement, you will be stopped. If you do get through then the chances are your anxiety is just another one of those inconveniences that nearly all pilots have to find away around - like being short or suffering motion sickness, or whatever. You possibly won't know which type you are until you give it a try.

But don't make the mistake of thinking that it will go away. If you are built that way you will have to find a way of facing up to it and living with it. If you worry about your first handling check aged 18-25 the chances are you will worry about your final line check aged 60. The good news is that I have known any number of successful pilots who, while they wouldn't admit it openly, suffer significant levels of anxiety well above the norm but deliver consistent top performance and to whom I'd entrust my wife and kids any time. Most employers are well aware that this can be a problem for some pilots but if you can jump all the hurdles they won't hold it against you.

Good luck.

[g783cef]

Thanks for your honest reply albert driver.

The form of anxiety that I suffered with was basically an extreme form of shyness. I would do anything and everything to avoid a situation where I had to socialise with a stranger due to fear of embarrasing myself, irrational I know but thats the way it was. I still consider myself to be slightly on the quiet side but feel comfortable and confident around people now. Things such as presentations etc scare the life out of me though, but this is the case with most people.
The situation with my former employer did'nt just effect me. In fact three (out of a total of six) of us left at the same time last year and went on to start our own successful company in the same field and became his main competitors:}.
I still worry about spending such a lot of money on training if i am just going to get so far along the application route. I doubt i would get a straight answer from any airline regarding this matter. I'm worried that some people would automatically write me off as a 'mental case'. :ugh:

[Albert Driver]

Unless there is more to your medical history than you mention, g783, you will not be written off as "a mental case" unless you write yourself off as one.

Having once been a shy child myself, I have some sympathy. A bad employment experience is also a hard knock to take but you must put it behind you. People mature much later these days, mainly because they are over-protected in our present society. At 29 you are at an age where most people review their lives and begin to focus on doing something worthwhile with the rest of it. Think wider than just aviation.

You won't get a straight answer from an airline because you are not going to tell them! (unless in the past you've been Sectioned and can't avoid declaring it, in which case you need advice specific to this from another forum member with specialist knowledge). What you can't do is use the problem as an excuse for poor performance or to gain extra time or special consideration. That being the case, it is best kept private - just one more personal battle against some small disadvantage such as most of us have but keep to ourselves.

I think you are looking too far ahead (one toe in the cold water wondering how far it is to the French Coast?). Have some private flying lessons and see how you get on. At worst it will have been an interesting experience. At best you will gain some experience and a lot of self-confidence. You will then be in a position to think more clearly about your future.

[g783cef]

Thanks albert your comments have been taken on board. I didn't realise that you could keep your medical file secret on application. The past employment will be my only problem.