ADHD, OCD, Tourette's

[Hyperactive]

Why I'm typing this I'm not certain; it's mainly thoughts I've had while reading various ADHD discussions but would prefer to post anonymously for obvious reasons.

Back in the stone age thankfully before everything was computerized my doctor told my parents I was "hyperactive", I guess what they now call ADHD, and put me on Ritalin. The usual, bright kid, bored in school, etc. I was maybe 8 years old. At the time the standard practice was to not tell the child what it was for, so I was told the little pills were "to improve my appetite". Eventually after a few years I figured out it WASN'T to improve my appetite, indeed it has the opposite effect, and after a big argument with my parents I stopped taking it. That would have been around 7th grade.

I also have (though it was never formally diagnosed as far as I know) mild Tourette's, which other than being made fun of in school never interfered with my day to day life. That ties into mild OCD as well, like tapping something with both hands to "even things up". Again, not debilitating, I can suppress it for as long as necessary, like for the length of an AME visit or an approach and landing. As long I can let it out later.

I was an average student in most things but excelling at things (math and science) that interested me, earning an engineering degree and having a long successful career (on the creative/design side, I'd be an awful structural analyst or network engineer). But I'm terrible at time management and getting things done on time. I have no idea how I'd do on a cogscreen.

None of those things were reported on my first (over 40 years ago) or subsequent medical applications (basicmed now) and I've flown safely all that time. I suppose my personality (or position on the "spectrum") would make new an unsafe instrument pilot, but I have no interest in that, I fly low and slow puddlejumpers for fun on nice days. Without trying to brag, I have a reputation of being one of the better pilots around.

I just thank God that my childhood medical records were on long gone paper, and I'm sure a lot of older pilots feel the same way. I feel sorry for younger aspiring pilots who grew up in the modern computer records era.

So why did I write this? Still not sure, just another perspective from somebody who has been there.

 

[bbchien]

The Forebrain in individuals (wherein resides judgement), matures at different rates, culminating at age 25 with maturity. Unfortunately there arey many "in a rush" to get our kids-
(1) into the right preschool
(2) so they can get into the right elemetary school
(3) So they can get into the right college prep
(4) so that they can get to the right college....
...so they can "launch". So if the kid is noncompliant with "the plan", "pills" it is.....

 

[lbfjrmd]

"That ties into mild OCD as well, like tapping something with both hands to "even things up". Again, not debilitating, I can suppress it for as long as necessary, like for the length of an AME visit or an approach and landing. As long I can let it out later."

the 'let it out later' is concerning.

 

[mcmanigle]

"That ties into mild OCD as well, like tapping something with both hands to "even things up". Again, not debilitating, I can suppress it for as long as necessary, like for the length of an AME visit or an approach and landing. As long I can let it out later."

the 'let it out later' is concerning.

I had a friend like this in college: If she got tapped on one shoulder, or someone whispered in one ear, she would feel really uneasy until the same thing happened on the other side. She certainly wasn't debilitated by it, but I think you could easily make the argument that she was distracted.

 

[benyflyguy]

So back in the day… say the late 70’s or 80’s. Did the FAA medicals back then ask or have to report med use like Ritalin. And if so was it under the same scrutiny it is under today?? Just Trying to understand some historical context.

 

[flyingron]

I'm pretty sure Ritalin was always verboten as far as the FAA was concerned. It didn't really come into vogue for ADHD until the 80s though it was prescribed back in the 60s for that (it was previously used for other things like to combat barbiturate overdoses, narcolepsy, and some depressive disorders). Because it was over-proscribed for years, the FAA somewhat relented that if a kid got off it, made it through college unmedicated, and was seemingly normal at the exam, then he could be issued. Then COGSCREEN happened. Now the FAA wants to make sure everybody gets their kickback on that testing.

 

[WDD]

Are you saying you have ADHD, OCD, and Tourette's and are flying?

 

[MyDimeIsUp]

I would say Tourette's isn't that bad depending on what it is (My brother has tourettes). I imagine things like vocal tics can't have much of an impact on flying. Now if it was a tic where somebody HAD to move their hand or some limb it can be considered a flight safety issue. Everything is on a spectrum, even ADHD, but the FAA doesn't believe in those. Only black and white.

 

[Half Fast]

Everything is on a spectrum, even ADHD, but the FAA doesn't believe in those. Only black and white.

True, but to be fair, the FAA can’t issue a medical on a spectrum, and if they screw up, “dead” doesn’t come on a spectrum, either.

I do agree that the FAA is frequently unreasonable, though.