TheGirlinPurple
Well-Known Member
I know in the ATC community mental health talk can be a difficult subject. There has always been a negative "stigma" in the community about it. We are trained to compartmentalize and burry anything that affects our jobs. If you can't handle your emotions you can't do the job. I am not looking to change this, but I would like to start a DBSA support group for retired/disabled ATCers to get support from others that can understand.
I have never had a problem sharing my story with others. While there are many that might look down on me for my struggles, I honestly don't care what they think. In 2014 I came a breathe away from being another air traffic controller who succumbed to suicide. I ignored my mental health to try to save my career. I dreamed of being an air traffic controller since I was a kid and I never gave up until my brain literally broke. I loved every minute of my career, but the career almost killed me. I am permanently disabled from my time in the FAA, but am finally at a stable enough point that I could possibly reach out and help others.
For nearly 9 years I have been in treatment for mental health. I still deal with suicidal ideation on a daly basis and my mental health issues have developed into physical issues as well. The group that has been able to help me the most is a peer led group called Depression Bipolar Support Alliance(DBSA). It is a peer led support group model that is very effective. Sadly, I feel the support I get can lack because while I can talk about my ATC career no-one can ever get it. A very truthful statement in Air Traffic Control is: "If you have never done the job, you can never understand the toll it takes." So it is frustrating trying to get support from those that can not to relate to the experiences an ATCer experiences.
Our community is very small and we are not generally "feelings" types, however I think a group like this would help greatly. I want to propose starting a DBSA Chapter that meets virtually specifically tailored to the needs of former Air Traffic Controllers. Would anyone be interested in starting this with me? I have been unplugged from the community for so long that I can't get this off the ground myself. While I did not continue my NATCA membership post retirement(I was a NATCA member my entire career), I would be willing to change that if it is still possible to help get this off the ground.
I want to ask everyone to be respectful about this thread. Please do not joke or put others down. If you choose to look down on people with mental health issues or those that have developed them while doing the job, please save that for another thread. Mental health is a true hazard of our job. I would like to make a serious effort to help others not to have to experience what I have gone through in my post-FAA life.
I have never had a problem sharing my story with others. While there are many that might look down on me for my struggles, I honestly don't care what they think. In 2014 I came a breathe away from being another air traffic controller who succumbed to suicide. I ignored my mental health to try to save my career. I dreamed of being an air traffic controller since I was a kid and I never gave up until my brain literally broke. I loved every minute of my career, but the career almost killed me. I am permanently disabled from my time in the FAA, but am finally at a stable enough point that I could possibly reach out and help others.
For nearly 9 years I have been in treatment for mental health. I still deal with suicidal ideation on a daly basis and my mental health issues have developed into physical issues as well. The group that has been able to help me the most is a peer led group called Depression Bipolar Support Alliance(DBSA). It is a peer led support group model that is very effective. Sadly, I feel the support I get can lack because while I can talk about my ATC career no-one can ever get it. A very truthful statement in Air Traffic Control is: "If you have never done the job, you can never understand the toll it takes." So it is frustrating trying to get support from those that can not to relate to the experiences an ATCer experiences.
Our community is very small and we are not generally "feelings" types, however I think a group like this would help greatly. I want to propose starting a DBSA Chapter that meets virtually specifically tailored to the needs of former Air Traffic Controllers. Would anyone be interested in starting this with me? I have been unplugged from the community for so long that I can't get this off the ground myself. While I did not continue my NATCA membership post retirement(I was a NATCA member my entire career), I would be willing to change that if it is still possible to help get this off the ground.
I want to ask everyone to be respectful about this thread. Please do not joke or put others down. If you choose to look down on people with mental health issues or those that have developed them while doing the job, please save that for another thread. Mental health is a true hazard of our job. I would like to make a serious effort to help others not to have to experience what I have gone through in my post-FAA life.
