F
Flying Happy
Guest
To start, I’ve held a 1st class medical for 4 years now but some recent happenings with friends in school have me worried.
Background: Separated from the military in 2017 due to a diagnosis that’s been cleared and I have no worry about, however, while I was getting out I experienced some pretty heavy anxiety about the involuntary separation and this was eventually reported on my VA disability’s. “Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depression” I had never seen anyone for the condition and have never seen anyone since. No counseling, I had medication for headaches which the DOC said would help with anxiety, Nortriptyline, and I used that for a few months but felt no difference so I stopped using it, that was in 2018. I’ve been stabile and once I left the marine corps and moved on in life, the anxiety has never been an issue. I’ve been upfront with the FAA about it on my medical applications and the AMEs really don’t ask many questions regarding it, so up until recently, I wasn’t worried.
The dilemma: I’m finishing up flight school and a few of my veteran friends who have had some mental health stuff cleared in the past have been getting letters for additional information recently after applying for their medicals. I’ll be honest, not sure if they have more severe conditions/history, but it’s got me a little worried. My big worry is the fact if I am asked to prove I’m good; I HAVE NO TREATMENT HISTORY, a tricyclic medication prescribed, and the fact that my VA decision letter lists some stuff like SI and Depression. Which I never had but it’s listed under the percentage justification. It also lists headaches (non-frequent) and headaches (frequent) under the same justification, as if someone was just clicking boxes??
Question: I’m curious as to if I continue to report the same stuff I have for the past 4 medicals, if they will one day ask for a bunch of information and send me through hoops. Should I consult a HIMs AME to get things in order?
Soapbox: I understand mental health is harder to clear as stabile unlike a past sprained ankle, but is there no set precedent for medical conditions that have been cleared at the OKC level so many times in a row? Also, it sucks that the guys that are upfront and genuinely want to do right by the FAA are the ones seemingly most penalized by the system.
Background: Separated from the military in 2017 due to a diagnosis that’s been cleared and I have no worry about, however, while I was getting out I experienced some pretty heavy anxiety about the involuntary separation and this was eventually reported on my VA disability’s. “Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depression” I had never seen anyone for the condition and have never seen anyone since. No counseling, I had medication for headaches which the DOC said would help with anxiety, Nortriptyline, and I used that for a few months but felt no difference so I stopped using it, that was in 2018. I’ve been stabile and once I left the marine corps and moved on in life, the anxiety has never been an issue. I’ve been upfront with the FAA about it on my medical applications and the AMEs really don’t ask many questions regarding it, so up until recently, I wasn’t worried.
The dilemma: I’m finishing up flight school and a few of my veteran friends who have had some mental health stuff cleared in the past have been getting letters for additional information recently after applying for their medicals. I’ll be honest, not sure if they have more severe conditions/history, but it’s got me a little worried. My big worry is the fact if I am asked to prove I’m good; I HAVE NO TREATMENT HISTORY, a tricyclic medication prescribed, and the fact that my VA decision letter lists some stuff like SI and Depression. Which I never had but it’s listed under the percentage justification. It also lists headaches (non-frequent) and headaches (frequent) under the same justification, as if someone was just clicking boxes??
Question: I’m curious as to if I continue to report the same stuff I have for the past 4 medicals, if they will one day ask for a bunch of information and send me through hoops. Should I consult a HIMs AME to get things in order?
Soapbox: I understand mental health is harder to clear as stabile unlike a past sprained ankle, but is there no set precedent for medical conditions that have been cleared at the OKC level so many times in a row? Also, it sucks that the guys that are upfront and genuinely want to do right by the FAA are the ones seemingly most penalized by the system.
