Things that can occur post traumatic events come in various forms; Flashbacks, PTDS, anxiety, sleep deprivation, headaches and ASR. If even minor indications of these are not dealt with they can manifest themselves in a variety of ways, even physically.  Great or small they are not symptoms to be ignored.

Dr Sandi Hill says “The cockpit team are responsible for the safety of hundreds of lives and an incredibly expensive aircraft covering multiple sectors, they are part aircraft engineer, part weather predictor and even have to assess the gravity of on-board medical emergencies. What other profession is like this, I’m not sure?

Pressure of this nature builds up and affects other areas such as sleep, appetite, exercise, relationships and mood… simply being away from family and friends or doing back-of-the-clock shifts when most humans are asleep are factors that can affect a person’s mental health.

Cate Larkins, Legal Officer & Welfare Coordinator for AFAP says “Our pilots often trust using our services over their employer. Pilots use our Member Assistance Program for all sorts of things, there doesn’t have to be anything serious going on.

In the October edition of Australian Aviation magazine, I provide a detailed outline of the wide-ranging AFAP member support services.

If you feel you are exhibiting any of the symptoms listed above, get in touch. We can put you in contact with the highest quality professionals to support you with 100% confidentiality.