I know if he would have said this may mess you up for getting a pilots license I would have said. I don't want it.
It's not the PCP's responsibility to know the medical requirements for pilot medical certification. Most PCPs are stretched so thin these days they barely have time to pee during their workday. Now if your PCP happens to also be a pilot or AME, sure, they're going to know, but that's not 99% of them. As NightSkyReader said, when they have a patient in front of them asking for help, and a reasonable expectation that an SSRI might help, what do you think they're going to do? PCPs don't have the time or inclination to do talk therapy, and most patients are not satisfied being told to suck it up, there's nothing to offer. It's unfair to malign the PCP for the position you've found yourself in.
Of course, the aspiring pilot doesn't know what he or she doesn't know. However, there's this thing called the internet, whereby anyone can access forums like this, or even the aviation medical examiner's guide. There has to be some personal responsibility. I can't imagine wanting to begin any activity, which almost anyone realizes has some minimum requirements, without researching online to see what those requirements might entail. I recently decided to purchase a handgun and obtain a concealed carry permit. Not previously being a gun enthusiast or a shooter, I spent weeks researching the various types of weapons available for purchase, and perusing the requirements for obtaining a license in my state. I can't fathom the idea of just walking into a gun shop without doing any prior research.
I also take issue with the CFI community for failing to inform potential students that there ARE medical certification standards. Too many CFIs still tell folks that anyone who can fog a mirror can obtain a medical certificate, which those who frequent this forum know is not true. The CFI doesn't need to delve into the student's medical history, but they certainly are capable of telling prospects, "If you have any of these conditions, it might be an issue, so you should consult with an AME or do some research on your own to be sure you can be certified." If this simple step were taken with every potential student walking into a flight school, it could almost completely prevent the dashed hopes, wasted money, and blunders that we read about here on a regular basis, from wanna-be pilots who had absolutely no idea what they were getting into until the bell is rung, and it's too late to take a step back. When I served as the president and membership chairman of my flying club, I was usually the one with whom potential members first made contact. If they were not yet a student pilot, I always went over this before they joined. Sure, it cost us a few members who ultimately discovered they could not, or did not want to go through the hassles to obtain a medical certificate, but it was the right thing to do. There's absolutely no reason the CFIs can't do this as well.
.
