After working in what I thought would be my life long career as a Science Teacher, I decided I was ready for a change of scenery.
As I researched what it would take to receive a medical certificate, I remember feeling worried about my previous medical history.
In order to expand our family, I had to do In vitro fertilization (IVF) which was met with many complications. Aside from the hundreds of shots I had to endure, I unfortunately miscarried twice.
The second miscarriage actually caused trauma as I miscarried at 12 weeks with twin girls, and during the ultrasound where I found out they had passed the doctor left the room with the image of my twin girls dead on the screen. I was left alone for over 20 minutes to stare at their image, and was later told that I would have to have a medical abortion to remove them since I was too far along. All of this was so much to process and I became depressed.
I decided to take some time off from IVF and quit my job.
I, willingly and uncoerced, started going to therapy, received SSRIs in order to help with the depression, and was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
After taking some time to heal I attempted IVF again and was successful.
A few years later I decided to officially pivot my career and applied for a medical before I started training. I was immediately met with a deferral.
In all honesty I do understand why a deferral is necessary.
I understand that the FAA is just trying to keep people safe.
However I found the whole process so invasive with having to submit information about my IVF history, my therapy notes about what had happened, a psychiatry report, etc.
It truthfully felt like an attack on women submitting information that was so beyond personal to our family.
I was granted a medical, which I am grateful for, but with the caveat that I have to go to therapy monthly, I have to see an aviation psychiatrist annually, and I need a letter from a CFI assessing my mental fitness under pressure... all completely unrelated to why I needed an SSRI in the first place.
I want to emphasize that I understand the premise behind why the FAA is concerned about a history with PTSD and MDD for all aviators, but I feel like there is no willingness to look at my situation holistically and recognize these requirements are unnecessary at this point.
My aviation psychiatrist had recommended to the FAA for two years in a row that this is completely unnecessary and that she has recommended that I do NOT need to perform these actions anymore. I do not feel like punishing me by having me pay thousands of dollars annually to maintain my medical, essentially forcing me to talk about my miscarriages for 5 years, and disregarding the recommendation of a credible medical professional makes sense.
This is why I was hoping to become an advocate for mental health in aviation.
I find it perplexing that I can do all the right things, again, uncoerced, and still be seen as a potential threat to the field of aviation... over a miscarriage.
Many advocates have noted that the FAA process for mental health certification is often experienced as invasive and outdated compared to other regulatory frameworks internationally.
In some systems, pilots are able to access care and maintain certification with fewer barriers and more continuity of treatment.
The process should not intensify the condition it is designed to evaluate.
The Pilot Mental Health Campaign is working with lawmakers and industry stakeholders to support a more modern, evidence-based, and clinically aligned approach to mental health certification in aviation.
If this story resonates with you, we invite you to stay connected and support efforts to improve mental health care access and reduce stigma in aviation here:
https://www.pmhc.org/donate